Surgical Strikes Row: Congress Repeats UPA-Era Claims as BJP Dismisses Them as ‘Lies’

The political battle over surgical strikes reignited on Thursday as the Congress reiterated its claim that six such operations were carried out under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government. The statement comes amid controversy sparked by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who recently remarked that India’s first surgical strike occurred in 2016, triggering backlash both within and outside the party.

While senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala defended Tharoor as a “seasoned and experienced” politician, he corrected the record, emphasizing that surgical strikes were conducted during the UPA era as well. “These strikes were a regular part of India’s counter-terror response under the Congress-led government,” Surjewala said.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the Congress shared a video listing six strikes conducted under the UPA, captioned: “No Noida. No PR. Only Decisive Actions.” According to the party, operations took place in regions including Poonch’s Bhattal sector in 2008 and Kel in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in 2011.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) quickly hit back, branding the Congress claims as “falsehoods” and accusing the party of politicizing national security. The BJP cited a 2018 RTI response by the Directorate General of Military Operations (DGMO) which reportedly confirmed no surgical strikes took place during the UPA regime.

Echoing past claims made by Rahul Gandhi in 2018 about multiple strikes under UPA, the Congress reiterated that the armed forces conducted targeted operations well before the high-profile 2016 strike following the Uri terror attack.

As the war of words escalates, the issue continues to stir political tension, drawing fresh scrutiny over the narrative around India’s military actions and their politicization.