Modi has finally acted as PM, says Rahul

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who has been unrelenting in his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday lauded him for the surgical strikes by the Army across LoC, saying it was the “first action” befitting his post in two-and-a-half years.

Days after he slammed Modi’s “short-sighted” political alliance with PDP, saying it has “opened space” for terrorism in Kashmir and apportioned blame to NDA government’s “politics” for the Uri attack, the Congress vice-president said he and his party stand by the Prime Minister’s decision to carry out surgical strikes.

“When Prime Minister acts as the prime minister of the country then I too support him... I want to thank him that in the past two-and-a-half years, this is the first action which can be termed as worthy of Prime Minister,” he said at a road show as part of his Deoria-to-Delhi Kisan yatra here.

The Army on Thursday carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launchpads across the LoC and inflicted “significant casualties” on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from PoK. Rahul said: “He (Modi) has my full support and that of Congress... The entire nation is with him today.” 

He also paid homage to the jawans, who were prepared to make the supreme sacrifice to safeguard the country. His tribute came against the backdrop of the attack by Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad on the Army base in Uri in which 19 soldiers were killed.

Congress president Sonia Gandhi has already expressed her support for the government action across the LoC and criticised Pakistan for sponsoring terror in the region.

Earlier, addressing a Khaat Sabha at Khurja in Bulandshaar district, Rahul Gandhi raised issues related to agriculture sector and said farmers who have been engaged with agriculture are now incurring losses. Gandhi assured the gathering of farmers that he will think on this crucial issue, how to provide them assistance. 

Later in Aligarh, he led road shows in different parts of city and alleged that the Centre is destroying agriculture.