Debate on over whether surgical strikes video should be out

New Delhi, Oct 5: A debate raged today over whether government should release evidence of the army's surgical strikes across the LoC with BJP leader Subramanian Swamy favouring putting out an edited version of the video on the action while most experts spoke against it.

Rejecting the demand, the BJP attacked some Congress leaders and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for raising questions over the strikes and accused them of giving a handle to Pakistan to advance its false propaganda.

The Congress, on its part, insisted that it never questioned the authenticity of the strikes but steered clear of the demand, including from within its own ranks, for the release of evidence, saying it would give appropriate advise in the best interest of national security if consulted by the government.

Swamy, a Rajya Sabha member, said anybody questioning the operation should prove prima facie evidence to support his allegation but added that an video should be released following a newspaper report today that gave details of the operation.

"I think they should edit the video of the logistics value of it and show the other part, showing explosions, the dead body... they have got in the video. So all these parts can be released," he said.

He, however, added that the bluff of those questioning the army's claim should be called by not responding to them. A large number of countries, including Russia, have congratulated India on these strikes, he said.

Former army chief Gen V P Malik slammed those questioning the credibility of the strikes saying, "The video should not be released just because some stupid people have sought so."

He told PTI it was "utter nonsense" that people are asking the army to prove the operation and wondered what is wrong with the political class. "Only the army should take a call on whether to release the video or not and when," he said.

PTI