Rahul accuses Modi of disrespecting armed forces

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of disrespecting the country's armed forces by comparing surgical strikes to video games.

Addressing a perss conference at the party office here, Gandhi said: "The Army is not a personal property of Modiji. Modi thinks the Indian Air Force, Navy and the Army are his personal properties.

"These surgical strikes were not carried out by Modiji, it was carried out by our forces. And if Modiji says that the earlier surgical strikes were not real surgical strikes and a video game, then he is not demeaning the Congress but he is disrespecting the armed forces."

Gandhi also said that if the media needs record then its written here. General Vikram Singh has said the UPA government had carried out six surgical strikes between 2008 and 2014 and given out the dates of the surgical strikes.

"This has been done by the Amry and we don't want to politicise it. And the Prime Minister must have respect for the armed forces," he said.

The Congress President's remarks comes a day after the Prime Minister while addressing a public meeting said that the party that questioned the surgical strikes is now saying "me too, me too". Modi also said bitingly that "it is no video game".

The Congress leader also said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was losing in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

"More than half of the elections are over and there is clear cut feeling that Modiji is losing. Main issues in this elections are unemployment, corruption of Prime Minister. Our general assessment is clearly saying that BJP is losing the elections.

"The biggest issue in front of the people is unemployment and the economy ruined by Modi government is the biggest issue and the country and Rahul Gandhi wants to understand it. Rahul Gandhi is nothing. Country is the biggest thing.

"Modiji had said that he shall give employment to over two crore youths every year. While in Congress manifesto an entire chapter is about jobs. In this we have listed how we will do and what we will do," he said.

Hitting out at the Prime Minister, Gandhi said: "Modiji's entire system is to distract. We have fought four to five elections with him. We have fought against him in Gujarat, Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh Chhattisgarh. Soon he realises that he is not going to win then he shall bring sometyhing new like he brought sea plane in Gujarat.

"Reality is Modiji is losing the elections and its visible on his face," he added. IANS