BJP’s Ashish Sood slams Sanjay Raut for ‘surgical strikes’ comment

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NEW DELHI, Oct 19: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jammu and Kashmir co-incharge Ashish Sood on Monday slammed the Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut and claimed that those who once demanded proof of surgical strikes today feel that surgical strikes must be carried out against China. “Those who had once demanded proof for surgical strikes today feel that surgical strikes must be carried out. But they did not notice that the Union Defence Minister among other people started to work on a security review three hours after the incident,” Sood said.
He further added, “Everyone was mobilising their respective political parties for a visit to Lakhimpur Kheri, but when fundamentalists and terrorists kill people in Kashmir, they all stay quiet on that. They only do vote bank politics.” The comments came in reaction to Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut’s concern over the attack on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir and said that the situation there is “worrisome”. “Situation in Jammu and Kashmir is worrisome. Bihari migrants, Kashmiri Pandits, Sikhs are being targeted,” he said.
Raut also demanded a statement from the Defence Minister (Rajnath Singh) and the Home Minister (Amit Shah) of the country. “When it’s about Pakistan, you talk of surgical strikes. Then, it should be then done for China too. Defence Minister or Home Minister needs to tell the nation what the situation is in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” the Sena leader added.
Sood said that selective outrage on selective killings is terrible for the country and people dying anywhere in the country is equally unfortunate. Alleging that mainstream political parties, like Mehbooba Mufti’s Jammu and Kashmir People’s Democratic Party (PDP) are doing politics over the civilian killings in the union territory, he said, “Killings of civilians by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir is unfortunate but it is just as unfortunate that parties which consider themselves as mainstream, like that of Mehbooba Mufti are doing politics over it.”
“She is always questioning the centre, but not once did she condemn the terrorists and infiltrators responsible for killings. They are doing politics just to save their remaining support base,” he added. On Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tarkishore Prasad’s call to halt India’s upcoming T20 World Cup Match with Pakistan in view of recent civilian killings by terrorists, Sood said that India’s stand on Pakistan is well-known and it will bring to end those involved in encroachment and terrorism in the country’s territory. (Agencies)