Congress MP and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Friday sparked a fresh controversy after he questioned surgical strikes conducted in the aftermath of the 2019 Pulwama terror attack.

“Till date, I have not found out where the (surgical) strike took place, where men were killed at that time and where this happened in Pakistan. If someone drops a bomb in our country, will people not know?,” asked Channi.

The Congress MP further added, “They claim to have conducted surgical strikes against Pakistan but nothing had happened. Nowhere was a surgical strike seen. Nobody came to know.”

Asked if he had sought proof of those strikes, he said, “I have always been demanding that.”

The Congress MP made the remark while speaking at a press conference after a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting.

Channi also demand that the government should tell the people who they (perpetrators of Pahalgam terrorist attack) are and punish them.

“We demand that the government take steps and the entire country is awaiting to witness what action it takes against Pakistan,” the former Chief Minister said while responding to a question.

“People are waiting for the 56-inch chest as to when will it act. We demand that the government act fast and give results,” he added.

‘No proof is needed’

However, Channi later backtracked and said no proof is needed for the surgical strikes.

“I have said earlier also that the Congress party, in this hour of grief, is standing by the government. If the government disrupts their (Pakistan’s) water supply, air or whatever action it takes, we are standing like a rock with it,” he said.

“You talked about surgical strikes. We do not ask for proof and no evidence has been sought for it…. The question today is that we want justice for the families of the victims and the country. We are standing with the government,” he said.

BJP attacks Channi

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the Congress MP over his remarks.

“Congress leader Channi in 2024 disgustingly commented ‘Stuntbaazi‘ when Corporal Vicky Pahade ji was killed in the Poonch attack. Now he insults armed forces again saying they (Army) said that we did a surgical strike on Pakistan, but nobody saw it.” said party spokesperson C R Kesavan.

BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said that Congress has become Pakistan Prast Party (PPP) and accused it of hurting the morale of the Army.

“Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah says no action should be taken against Pakistan… Robert Vadra and other Congress party leaders have given a clean chit to Pakistan and blamed Hindutva… When the whole country is standing behind the army so that they can give a befitting reply to the terrorists, the Congress party is hurting the morale of the army,” said Poonawala.

Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa also attacked Channi saying, “the Congress MP has again shown the dirty politics and dirty mentality of the Gandhi family who always question the army and demoralize the forces.”