New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS) Claiming that cross-border pre-emptive military actions took place during the UPA regime also, Congress leader P. Chidambaram on Tuesday said there will be public demands for releasing the video footage of the recent surgical strikes carried across the Line of Control (LoC), as the Narendra Modi government has taken political ownership of the military action.
Talking to a TV news channel, Chidambaram said that unlike the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government, the Narendra Modi government has deliberately taken political ownership of military action.
"Such cross-border pre-emptive actions have taken place in the past. At least one such strike has been confirmed by then Chief of Army staff Gen. Bikram singh in January 2013. There have been others, but I don't want to get into details," Chidambaram told CNNNews18.
"Having taken political ownership for the cross-border action and having publicised it so much, it is only to be expected that people will demand that the video be released. So I am sure the government has thought through about the consequences of taking the political ownership for a purely military action.
"And having thought through the consequences, let the government respond to the demand for releasing videos,"said the former Union Home Minister.
The Congress leader attributed "policy of strategic restraint" behind the UPA not publicising such military action conducted during its regime.
"Our government took the call that cross-border action should be a military call and it is for (Army) Generals to say what they want to say. We did not take political ownership of military action. This government has taken that responsibility."
"We pursued the correct strategy, our policy was strategic restrain. It is of course the privilege of every government to adapt or modify policies. If the NDA government modified, altered the polices of strategic restraint, its their call, they have to face the consequences of that call," he said.
"As the Opposition we support the government but the consequences of that call to modify and to take political ownership of military action, entirely is the responsibility of the NDA," he said, adding that during the UPA regime between 2004-2014, "more terrorists were arrested and killed" than in any other period.
Indian Army's Special Forces carried out surgical strikes on terrorist launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) on the night of September 28-29.
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