Giving credit to the teachings of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said Monday that a Prime Minister from the land of Mahatma Gandhi and a defence minister from Goa were a “different kind-of combination” that backed the Indian Army in carrying out surgical strikes across the Line of Control (LoC).
“A prime minister who hails from Mahatma Gandhi’s land, a defence minister from Goa, and surgical strikes… it’s quite a different kind of combination, may be the RSS’ teachings were the common core,” Parrikar said at the ‘Know Your Army’ event organised at the Nirma University campus.
“Violations are regularly taking place for the last five-six years, you can take out figures. But the only thing that has changed now is that we are giving effective reply,” he said.
To a question on security lapses, Mr. Parrikar said, “When you are doing things and if there are lapses in it, then mistakes should be rectified.”
Surgical strikes, he said, have increased the sensitivity among Indians regarding national security in a very effective way. “From the day of strike till today some politicians are seeking proof,” Mr. Parrikar said without taking any names.
“When Indian Army says something we should believe it. It (Army) is world’s best, professional, brave and having a very high integrity. I do not feel that anybody will seek proof from them (Army) here in Ahmedabad,” Mr. Parrikar said.
Congress hit out at Parrikar for giving credit to RSS. “Defence Minister is quick to credit the RSS for ops along LoC. This leads to two inescapable conclusions,” party’s national spokesperson Manish Tewari said.
He also flayed Parrikar by calling him a “national embarrassment” and claimed the former Goa Chief Minister “doesn’t deserve to be the Defence Minister.”
“Then they blame others for politicising the operations along the LoC. We would like to ask BJP and Defence Minister, did PM Lal Bahadur Shastri go to an RSS shakha? Did defence minister Yashwantrao Chavan go to an RSS shakha? Did PM Mrs Indira Gandhi go to a shakha? Did defence minister Jagjivan Ram go to a shakha? Did Field Marshall Sam Manekshaw go to a shakha? Did General JS Arora go to a shakha? What kind of a Defence Minister do we have?” he asked.
