Should Army have taken Rahul Gandhi along for surgical strikes asks Manohar Parrikar

New Delhi, July 16: Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Monday said that Congress would have believed in the surgical strikes if the Army had taken its Rahul Gandhi along on the mission.

Speaking at the meeting of party workers in the national capital, Parrikar said,''What do the opposition parties claim? That they (surgical strikes) were not carried out. Look at the negativity. Should I have taken you (opposition) along? Should I have told the army that take Rahul Gandhi along and carry out the surgical strikes?.''

''The most important thing about surgical strikes is the secrecy. Only PM, me, Army chief and Director General of Military Operation knew. Other than the four of us, those who knew were core commander, army commander in Srinagar and those who executed it,'' he said.

The Chief Minister also said that his mother's wisdom of preparing extensively for any eventuality was one of the factors which inspired him and his Defence Ministry to be fully prepared ahead of the actual strikes.

Parrikar was the Defence Minister when the two surgical strikes were conducted by the Indian armed forces on the country's eastern and western fronts.