Surgical strikes were carried out 3 times during UPA regime: Rahul Gandhi

Jaipur, Dec 1: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday lashed out at Narendra Modi for politicising the military decisions and accused the Prime Minister of interfering in Army's domain.

Speaking in poll-bound Rajasthan's Udaipur, Rahul said that surgical strikes across the border were carried out even during former prime minister Manmohan Singh's regime, but the then Congress-led government chose to keep it a secret.

"Do you know that like Mr Narendra Modi's surgical strike, Manmohan Singh ji did that 3 times? When Army came to Mr Manmohan Singh and said we need to retaliate against Pakistan for what they have done they also said we wanted to be secret, for our own purposes," he said.

"Mr Narendra Modi actually reached into Army's domain and shaped their surgical strike, he turned their surgical strike into a political asset when it actually was a military decision," he furher said.

During the interactive session with business community and professionals in Udaipur, Rahul took a jibe at Modi and said that the Prime Minister thinks that he knows everything.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi thinks he knows better than the Army what needs to be done in their area, he knows politics better, he knows agriculture better. He thinks all the knowledge of the world comes from his mind," said Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul attacked the Modi-led government over a range of issues. Speaking on unemployment, he said that joblessness in India is the most serious threat. He said the Congress would make employment generation for youth a priority if voted to power.

"Creation of jobs for youngsters is the biggest challenge that the country faces today and the PM has failed in doing so. China, our biggest competitor is producing 50,000 jobs every 24 hours," he said.

Targeting PM on his demonetisation move, Rahul Gandhi said "PM locked up the entire cabinet when he was announcing demonetisation on November 8, 2016."

The 200-member Rajasthan Assembly is scheduled to go to polls on December 7 and counting of votes will take place on December 11.