Surgical strike a right but late move: Mayawati

Lucknow, Sep 30: Congratulating the Army for carrying out a successful anti-terror operation across LoC, BSP supremo Mayawati today said the government should have given a go-ahead for it soon after the Pathankot attack.

She also cautioned BJP against trying to go overboard in celebration or taking "electoral advantage" on the issue, saying the situation has also led to new security challenges for the country.

"By demolishing terror camps in LoC, the army has fulfilled the promise made by it to the people of the country after the Uri attack," Mayawati said in a statement here.

"Giving a go-ahead for army action by the Modi government is a right but late move ... it should have been done soon after the Pathankot attack in January this year ... perhaps it could have saved the lives of 19 jawans in Uri," she said.

The BSP chief also cautioned the Modi government not to get carried away by this.

"This is not the time for the Modi government to either celebrate in over-excitement or make the wrong attempt to take political and electoral advantage on the issue as the present situation has also posed many challenges before the country ... there is a need to remain vigilant for security of the country and its citizens," she said.

"There is an immediate need to secure all international borders especially with Pakistan. This issue has been given very little importance in past two-and-half years resulting in continued terror activities causing loss of lives of civilians and jawans," she stressed.

The four-time UP chief minister also called for shunning the inconsistent policy of the past in this regard and allowing the army to continue its good work in national interest.

Criticising BJP president Amit Shah's claims of the present scenario as 'the dawn of new age', she said it was "politically motivated".

"A lot needs to be done to secure the borders and lives of people ... BJP should not start patting its own back over the developments," she said.

"Is it not the wrong thinking of the NDA-BJP led central government and PDP-BJP led state government that instead of effectively deploying the army on the borders to check infiltration it was used to keep a watch on its own people in Kashmir," she asked.

The BSP president called for equipping the army with all kind of modern equipment for securing international borders.

PTI