NEW DELHI: Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday attacked Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for claiming that three surgical strikes were conducted under the previous UPA government. Rajnath questioned Rahul that if the strikes took place, why were they not made public.


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"Why is he saying this now? Why did they not make the Army's valour and effort public? People have a right to know achievements of Army. He is suddenly realising this now," Rajnath said.


Rahul, while addressing a rally had on Saturday, claimed that the Narendra Modi government shaped the Army's 2016 surgical strike into a "political asset". Rahul had alleged that the surgical strike was made public as the BJP was fighting elections in Uttar Pradesh.


Referring to the surgical strikes on terror pads across the LoC on 29 September 2016, he had said: "Like during the Narendra Modi government, surgical strike was conducted thrice during Manmohan Singh government. Are you aware of it? Modi actually reached into the Army's domain and shaped surgical strike into a political asset."


BJP President Amit Shah had also hit back at Rahul for the claim and asserted that the comment was an "insult to martyrs" of Uri. "You people are happy that Modiji avenged the deaths of our soldiers of Uri but this Rahul Baba was just telling people that he (PM Modi) did the surgical strikes to win Uttar Pradesh polls. Shame on you," he had said. 


"You will not realise it Rahul baba that what difference this surgical strike has made. Every soldier of the country whether he is from Rajasthan, Gujarat or Punjab or Kashmir, has a feeling that his government stands behind them," Shah added.


Keeping up the attack on Rahul, the Home Minister on Sunday also mocked the opposition for demanding a probe into the Rafale deal by a Joint Parliamentary Committee. "Now if they have taken the matter to the Supreme Court then they should wait for its judgement," he said.