Retired Brigadier slams PM Modi on surgical strike remark, says they weren’t playing video games

Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi made the comment of surgical strikes under the UPA regime ‘some kind of video game,’ retired personnel of the armed forces have come out condemning his statement and slamming him for making such a comment.

“I think there are some people who play video games, no matter how old they are,” he said. “Perhaps they think surgical strikes are also some kind of video game,” PM Modi had said while addressing a public meeting in Sikar, Rajasthan.

Brigadier (Retd.) of the Indian Army Gurmeet Kanwal is the latest one to criticise PM Modi’s remark.

Taking to Twitter Kanwal wrote, “#SurgicalStrikes As commander of the Gurez brigade I asked for and was given a Special Forces team under operational control for the summer. We certainly weren’t playing video games.”

#SurgicalStrikes As commander of the Gurez brigade I asked for and was given a Special Forces team under operational control for the summer. We certainly weren’t playing video games.

— Gurmeet Kanwal (@gurmeetkanwal) May 6, 2019

Earlier, retired Colonel Ashok Kumar Singh also expressed his anger over the remark.

“Ten years of my active operations risking my life for this country. This person Narendra Modi, who also is the Prime Minister of India, says I played video games. What to say now?” News Central 24×7 quoted him as saying.

Also read: Would rather die than politicise army: Rahul Gandhi

Earlier on May 6, Brigadier MPS Bajwa (retd), who commanded the brigade that captured Tiger Hill during the Kargil war, expressed his dismay over the politicisation of such operations.

“Lot many controversial statements on Surgical Strikes. Sad that it’s been  politicised .Such strikes at Sector levels were carried out earlier also . Now done at National level , with publicity & fanfare but with no visible results. Total emphasis on ‘No Casuality‘ to be incurred,” he wrote on Twitter.

Lot many controversial statements on Surgical Strikes. Sad that it’s been politicised .Such strikes at Sector levels were carried out earlier also . Now done at National level , with publicity & fanfare but with no visible results. Total emphasis on ‘No Casuality‘ to be incurred

— Brig MPS Bajwa (R) (@BrigMps) May 6, 2019

On May 4, Lieutenant General (Retd.) DS Hooda, the former chief of the Northern Command who supervised the 2016 Surgical Strike, said that surgical strikes were not a new thing.

“Call it surgical strikes, call it cross border operations, they have been carried out in the past by the Army. I’m not aware of exact dates & areas that have been brought out,” he told media.

Lt General (Retd) DS Hooda on Congress's claim '6 surgical strikes were carried out during UPA tenure: Call it surgical strikes, call it cross border operations, they have been carried out in the past by the Army. I'm not aware of exact dates & areas that have been brought out. pic.twitter.com/5q499OSM9r

— ANI (@ANI) May 4, 2019