BJP says 'duplicitous' stand of Congress on surgical strikes exposed as latter ropes in army veteran who oversaw operation for its 'vision paper'

New Delhi: The BJP on Friday targeted the Congress after it roped in Lt Gen (Retd) DS Hooda for preparing its “vision paper” for the country’s security, saying the party’s “duplicitous” stand has been exposed as it had questioned the existence of surgical strikes in whose planning and execution the former Northern Army Commander was involved. [caption id=“attachment_5533351” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] The ruling party said it hopes that the Congress will now give credit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government for the surgical strikes of September 2016 on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The Congress party had said on Thursday that its President Rahul Gandhi is setting up a ‘Task Force on National Security’ to prepare a ‘vision paper’ for the country and it will be led by Hooda. “The irony can’t be missed that after questioning the existence and veracity of surgical strikes, the Congress has roped in an Army officer who was part of planning and execution of the operation,” BJP leader Nalin Kohli told ANI. Hooda was the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command when the surgical strikes were carried out on 28 September, 2016 following the deadly terror attack on Army camp in Uri in Kashmir 9 days earlier. “We are hopeful that with his (Hooda’s) presence, they (Congress) will give credit to PM Narendra Modi and his government for the surgical strike,” he added. “We also hope that now Congress will now desist from such duplicitous stand as on surgical strikes,” Kohli said. He said the BJP also hopes that the Congress will “start backing the Army and reposing faith in it.” Hooda, who retired in November 2016, had in December 2018 said that the surgical strike was “overhyped” and “politicised”.