Days after the Congress asked its leaders to stick to the party line on the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed, its MP Charanjit Singh Channi has found himself at the receiving end of a volley by the BJP after demanding proof of the surgical strike carried out against Pakistan in 2016.
Mr Channi later said he had not sought proof and that the Congress stands with the government "like a rock" as it takes measures against Pakistan following last week's attack.
Addressing a press conference on Friday after a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) - the party's highest decision-making body - in which a strong resolution urging the Centre to penalise Pakistan for the Pahalgam attack was passed, Mr Channi said the surgical strike "could not be seen".
Appearing to confuse the 2019 Balakot air strike and the 2016 surgical strike, Mr Channi, who is a former Punjab chief minister, said in Hindi, "If a bomb is dropped on our country, would we not know? They say we had conducted a surgical strike in Pakistan... nothing happened, the surgical strikes could not be seen, nobody found out."
Asked if he was seeking proof of the strike, Mr Channi continued, "I have been demanding it since the beginning. But the need of the hour is to heal the wounds of the people of our country. We demand that (the Centre) do something, identify (those behind the Pahalgam attack) and punish them."
The BJP pounced on Mr Channi's remarks and accused him and the Congress of questioning the armed forces.
Party leader and Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said in Hindi, "The Congress has questioned the Army and the Air Force again. Charanjit Singh Channi has said again that he does not believe that the surgical strike was carried out and that he wants proof. What kind of mindset does the Congress and the Gandhi family have that they repeatedly accuse the Army and Air Force of lying and say that Pakistan is telling the truth? This is despite Pakistan itself saying the surgical strike was carried out."
Mr Sirsa also accused the Congress MP of indulging in politics at a time when people have lost their lives in a terror attack.
"If you want proof so badly, visit Pakistan with (Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition) Rahul Gandhi and check where the surgical strike was done," he added.
BJP Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari also accused the Congress of "defending Pakistani terror".
Sharing a video of Mr Channi's remarks, Mr Bhandari wrote on X: "SICK! Rahul Gandhi's Congress continues to defend Pakistani terror! Now Charanjeet Singh Channi questions our forces. Why is Congress demoralising our forces at this critical time. Congress is taking orders directly from Pakistan!"
Later in the evening, Mr Channi said he had not sought proof of the surgical strike.
"I have said earlier as well that the Congress party, in this hour of grief, is standing by the government. If the government disrupts their (Pakistan's) water supply, air or whatever action it takes, we are standing like a rock with it," he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
"You talked about surgical strikes. We do not ask for proof and no evidence has been sought for it.... The issue today is that we want justice for the families of the victims and the country. We are standing with the government," he said.
Uri Attack, Response
In September 2016, the Army's brigade headquarters was attacked near the town of Uri in Jammu and Kashmir by four terrorists from the Pakistan-based terror organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed. The terrorists lobbed grenades and opened fire, after which a gunbattle began. The attack claimed the lives of 19 soldiers and over 20 others were injured.
Days later, on September 29, Indian Army teams crossed the Line of Control and attacked terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Several terrorists were killed in the surgical strike and the Army said it had taken the action because it had received intelligence that terrorist attacks were being planned against India.
Congress Resolution
In its resolution, the Congress Working Committee said this was the time to teach Pakistan a lesson and curb terrorism effectively.
"The masterminds and perpetrators of this cowardly attack must face full consequences for their actions. The Congress urges the Government of India to act with firmness, strategic clarity and international coordination to isolate and penalise Pakistan for its continued export of terror into our territory," the resolution stated.
"The entire country awaits accountability, answers and justice. In the face of such an unforgivable provocation, the Congress believes this is not a time for politics but a moment that calls for unity, strength, and national resolve," the CWC said.
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