JAMMU: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said he and the party do not agree with Digvijaya Singh's comments on surgical strikes and that the armed forces do not need to give any proof.
Singh on Monday had questioned the surgical strikes and accused the government of peddling lies.
"I don't agree with the statement of Digvijaya Singh. It is crystal clear that we disagree with it. It is the official position of the Congress," Gandhi told reporters here.
"They (armed forces) need not provide any proof," he said.
"There are people who will say ridiculous things during conversation. I am sorry to say so about a senior leader, he said a ridiculous thing," Gandhi told a press conference here.
Digvijaya Singh had said there is no proof of the 2019 surgical strike against Pakistan. Addressing a public meeting during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Jammu and Kashmir, Singh had said on Monday, "They (the BJP government) talk of surgical strikes. They claim to have killed so many people but no proof is given. They are ruling by peddling a bundle of lies."
Meanwhile, Rahul also spoke about his meeting with a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits, who have complained that they have been used for political gains. "I met a delegation of Kashmiri Pandits yesterday. They have expressed that they feel they are being disrespected and used for political gains. They requested me to raise their issues in parliament," said the Congress MP.
When asked about the banned BBC documentary "India: The Modi Question", he said that the truth always comes out and no amount of banning can suppress the truth from coming out. "The truth always comes out. No amount of banning the press and using institutions like ED and CBI against people can suppress the truth from coming out," said Gandhi.
A day after Singh stirred up the hornet's nest and the Congress distanced itself from the leader, party MP in charge of Communication, Ramesh told the media that all queries on the remarks have been answered by his party and that the media needed to aim its questions at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Digvijaya Singh, while trying to put an end to the row, said, "I have got the greatest regard for the Defence forces...Congress party has said whatever it wanted to. I tweeted yesterday regarding the same. I do not want to say anything other than this," he said.
Taking to Twitter, Ramesh claimed that even the UPA government had carried out surgical strikes. "The views expressed by senior leader Digvijaya Singh are his own and do not reflect the position of Congress. Surgical strikes were carried out before 2014 by the UPA government. Congress has supported and will continue to support all military actions that are in the national interest," Ramesh tweeted.
(With PTI, ANI inputs)