Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India]: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader CR Kesavan strongly criticized former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Saturday for casting doubts over the 2019 surgical strikes conducted by the Indian armed forces following the Pulwama terror attack, which killed several CRPF jawans.
Kesavan, in a video statement, condemned Channi’s remarks, accusing the Congress leader of undermining the patriotism and courage of India’s defence forces. He also dismissed Congress’s public sympathy for victims of recent terrorist attacks in Pahalgam as “an outright lie.”
“When Rahul Gandhi claims that Congress sympathises with victims of terror attacks, it is an outright lie. Yesterday, Charanjit Singh Channi shamelessly questioned the patriotism of our armed forces,” Kesavan said, calling Channi’s comments “divisive and dangerous.”
Echoing similar sentiments, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini claimed Channi was “speaking someone else’s language.” He called the former CM’s remarks “unfortunate” and questioned how he could dismiss such a major event. “Can’t he see such a big attack? Even Uri wasn’t visible to him?” Saini asked during a public event in Chandigarh.
The backlash comes after Channi demanded proof of the surgical strikes carried out in Pakistani territory under the BJP-led central government. “To date, I could not find where the (surgical) strike took place… I have always demanded proof,” Channi stated at a press conference.
His comments have drawn heavy political fire, especially amidst ongoing tensions between India and Pakistan and fresh concerns over national security following the recent Pahalgam terrorist attack.