From inside, CWC is Pak working committee: BJP hits out over Channi’s remarks

Patra countered that if according to Channi “nothing had happened” in the 2019 surgical strike, why was there “chaos in Pakistan”.

“Pakistan’s ministers acknowledged it (the surgical strike), they and officials of their armed forces are again apprehensive about another surgical strike… they are running here and there… at this time, does a Congress press conference questioning whether the surgical strike had happened not hurt the morale of the IAF, the armed forces and of citizens?” Patra said.

“The Congress spares no opportunity to supply oxygen to the Pakistan army, its government and its terrorists… Congress insists on giving their morale a boost every chance that it gets… I have no qualms in saying that… it is the Congress Working Committee on the outside but the Pakistan Working Committee within,” he said.

Referring to the Pulwama attack, Channi said on Friday that 40 soldiers were killed and when elections were held, the government boasted of action. “But we have never seen where in Pakistan the strikes were done and where people were killed. If someone threw a bomb in our country, will people not know? They claim to have conducted surgical strikes against Pakistan but nothing had happened. Surgical strikes were not seen anywhere and no one knew about them,” he had said.

Asked if he had sought proof of those strikes, he said, “I have always been demanding that.” He, however, later backtracked in the face of BJP counterattack and said no proof was needed.

On Saturday, Patra recalled the statements of Congress leaders including Saifuddin Soz, Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Minister R B Timmapur, MLC B K Hariprasad, Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law Robert Vadra, and Mani Shankar Aiyar questioning the steps taken by the Centre following the attack.

“Why should I not refer to them (the CWC) as the PWC?… just see the list of these statements… then they ask about India’s strategy to attack…why? So that you can go and tell them about it?… I guarantee, there will be a rush in Congress to be the first to tell Pakistan about India’s strategy if they are told about it,” he said.

“… a few days ago (Assam CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma ji said in one of his interviews there is a very senior Congress leader who stayed in Pakistan for 15 days after crossing the Attari Border, visiting it without telling anyone… a tall Congress leader, after sneaking into Pakistan, stays in Islamabad for 15 days… this is a very serious matter,” he said.

Patra claimed that Opposition leaders such as SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and parties like AAP were cited in Pakistan for their questioning of the Modi government’s stand, and alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is now trying to join them in getting praise in the neighbouring country.