New Delhi: War of words between Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Telangana counterpart K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) does not seem to end. A day after KCR backed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for demanding proof for the 2019 surgical strikes in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK), Sarma shared a video of Rao's press conference on Twitter and said it is an insult to the Indian army.
"On the anniversary of the Pulwama attack, the opposition has again insulted our martyrs by questioning the surgical strike," tweeted the Assam Chief Minister.
"The Congress and KCR are in competition to prove their loyalty to the Gandhi family," Sarma further said in his tweet.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had came out in support of Rahul Gandhi, who had sought proof from the Union government for the surgical strikes carried out in Balakot in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) in September 2019.
“There is nothing wrong with Rahul Gandhi asking for proof of the surgical strikes. Even now I am asking. Let the Government of India show. The BJP makes false propaganda that is why people are asking for it,” Rao backed Rahul Gandhi's demand in a press meet on Sunday.
Rao's support to Rahul Gandhi and his demand to seek proof of the surgical strike has generated reaction from Union Minister Anurag Thakur as well. Thakur while speaking to news agency ANI said that the Congress and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TSR) sound like Pakistan. And that they are no match to BJP in elections, which is why they rake up issues of surgical strike and hijab.
Sarma and KCR are involved in a bitter war of words on the issue of surgical strike since last week. The row started when the Assam CM during a public meeting on Friday took a dig at Rahul Gandhi for seeking proof of surgical strike and said whether the BJP had ever demanded proof of him being the "son of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi".
Addressing a public meeting Sarma said, "Look at the mentality of these people. General Bipin Rawat was the pride of the country. India conducted the surgical strike in Pakistan under his leadership. Rahul Gandhi demanded proof of the strike. Did we ever ask you for proof of whether you are Rajiv Gandhi's son or not? What right do you have to demand proof from my Army?"
Soon Rao came to the defense of Rahul Gandhi and urged the Prime Minister and BJP chief Jagat Prakash Nadda to sack Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his comments .