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Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi kicked up a storm after he questioned the credibility of the surgical strikes against Pakistan in the aftermath of the 2019 Pulwama terror attack.

Claiming that the strike never happened, the former Punjab Chief Minister said that he has always demanded (proof) of the same. " ... Till date, I could not find where the (surgical) strike took place, where men were killed at that time and where this happened in Pakistan. They say that they did a surgical strike in Pakistan. Nothing had happened," he said.

His remarks come days after the Congress asked its leaders to stick to the party line on the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed.

Demanding government action on Pahalgam attack, the Congress leader said, "Will we not find out if a bomb is dropped in our country? Nowhere was a surgical strike seen. Nobody came to know ... I have always demanded (proof). But today, people's wounds need to be tended to. We demand them (government) to do something. Tell people who perpetrators of Pahalgam terrorist attack are and punish them".

He was speaking at a press conference after a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meet. The Congress MP even said that steps such as annulling visas of Pakistanis and putting the Indus Waters Treaty on hold, have no meaning.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came down heavily on Channi over his remarks and said in 2024 he disgustingly commented "stuntbaazi" when Corporal Vicky Pahade was killed in the Poonch attack.

"Now, he insults the armed forces again, saying they (the Army) said that we did a surgical strike on Pakistan, but nobody saw it," BJP spokesperson CR KesavanKesavan said.

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa accused Channi and the Congress of questioning the armed forces. "The Congress has questioned the Army and the Air Force again. Charanjit Singh Channi has said again that he does not believe that the surgical strike was carried out and that he wants proof. What kind of mindset does the Congress and the Gandhi family have? This is despite Pakistan itself saying the surgical strike was carried out," he said.

"If you want proof so badly, visit Pakistan with (Congress MP and Leader of the opposition) Rahul Gandhi and check where the surgical strike was done," Sirsa added.

Responding to a question at the press conference on Friday, Channi said, "10 days have gone by but no action has been taken by the government. We demand that the government take steps and the entire country is awaiting to witness what action it takes against Pakistan."

The former Punjab CM also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying, "People are waiting for the 56-inch chest as to when will it act. We demand that the government act fast and give results".

The Congress often uses the phrase "56-inch chest" to attack PM Modi, referring to his remarks made in a speech years ago.

With the BJP attacking Channi over his remarks, the Congress leader 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," the MP 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 added.

Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were killed and several injured when terrorists opened fire at a meadow near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on April 22.

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