New Delhi, June 07: Taking serious exception to media reports and Congress allegations that it had delayed vital decision during the Kargil conflict, NDA today said the then Chief of Air Staff had opined against air strikes initially.
The NDA dared the government to come out with facts to prove its charge.
Accusing the government of "behaving like the opposition", Former External Affairs Minister and BJP leader in Rajya Sabha Jaswant Singh read out excerpts from an "executive summary" of 'Operation Vijay' prepared by Director General Military Operations to dismiss the reports in this regard.
Asserting that the Cabinet Committee on Security had at its meeting on May 24, 1999 recommended the need for using air power in Kargil operations, he said the then Chief of Air Staff felt that it would lead to "escalation of conflict and a full-fledged war."
He said the six volume report backed the government's actions during the conflict and appreciated "integrated approach to war management" and the "synergisation" at the national level between the political leadership, Ministries of Defence and External Affairs and services headquarters which made it possible to evolve a strategy to evict intruders and counter propaganda.
Singh recalled that the NDA government itself had constituted a Kargil Review Committee chaired by leading defence analyst K Subramanyam to examine all issues related to the Kargil operations and a Group of Ministers headed by the then Home Minister L K Advani was constituted to consider the recommendations on military, border security and intelligence.
"Most of the recommendations were implemented. The government should come out candidly with any other report in its possession and state who has made those assertions other than those contained in the Subramanyam Report and the DGMO account," he said.
Singh said an assessment is made at the conclusion of every conflict wherein various aspects including what could have been done is discussed.
He recalled in the 1948 conflict with Pakistan it was asked why the troops could not have gone upto Kishenganga, why air power was not deployed in the 1962 conflict with China, why Haji Pir was returned to Pakistan after 1965 war and why the 92,000 Pakistani POWs were returned after the 1971 war.
Earlier, Advani said the issue came up for discussion in the NDA MPs meeting and everyone felt that the facts be brought to light before the people. He also recalled that CCS used to meet on a daily basis and it was a training for him as well.
Later, Fernandes asserted there was no delay in air strikes and it was carried out when the Air Chief said the force was prepared for it.
He said such allegations would demoralise the forces and tantamounted to treason.
Bureau Report
