New Delhi [India]: Congress MP and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has stirred controversy by demanding proof of surgical strikes conducted by the Indian armed forces in Pakistan during the BJP government’s tenure, reigniting a politically sensitive debate amid national mourning following the Pahalgam terror attack.
Speaking at a press conference, Channi questioned the veracity of the strikes and expressed skepticism over their impact.
“Till date, I could not find where the (surgical) strike took place, where men were killed at that time, and where this happened in Pakistan… Nowhere was a surgical strike seen. Nobody came to know. I have always demanded proof,” he stated.
He further called on the government to identify and punish the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack, emphasizing the need for accountability and support for the victims’ families.
The remarks drew swift condemnation from political rivals. Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa criticized Channi for “questioning the Indian Armed Forces” and alleged that such comments reflect the “dirty mentality of the Gandhi family.”
“Charanjit Singh Channi has again shown the dirty politics of the Congress, which always questions and demoralizes our forces,” Sirsa said.
BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also hit back, branding Congress as the “Pakistan Prast Party” for its repeated doubts over military operations and national security matters.
The controversy comes just days after Congress, in its Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting, expressed strong condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack and called on the government to take strict action against those responsible. Channi, while addressing the incident, also urged the Centre to rehabilitate the families of the victims.
The surgical strikes, carried out in 2016 and later in 2019 (Balakot air strikes), were India’s response to cross-border terrorism, and the government had cited operational success based on intelligence inputs. However, periodic demands for “proof” by some opposition leaders have sparked ongoing debates about the politicization of national security.