Manohar Parrikar: All Indians can share credit for surgical strike

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar yesterday rejected claims that surgical strikes were undertaken during the UPA regime and asserted that a “major” share of credit for the army action last month goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Manohar Parrikar. Pic/PTI

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar yesterday rejected claims that surgical strikes were undertaken during the UPA regime and asserted that a “major” share of credit for the army action last month goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said all the 127 crore people of India, including “doubting Thomases,” and the army share and deserve credit for the operation as it was done by the armed forces and not by any political party. At the same time, he said that “major share” of credit does go to Modi and the government for decision-making and planning.

He also made it clear that claims of having carried out such strikes earlier were wrong as such actions were undertaken by border action teams at local level “without the knowledge” of the government. “I don’t mind sharing the credit, including on surgical strike, with every countryman because it is done by our armed forces and not by any political party. So all Indians, including, those doubting Thomases, can share the credit,” he said at a function here.

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