Kalaburagi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly attacked the Congress party for its attitude towards Indian Army and disrespect the sacrifice soldiers had made to the country.

Addressing a mammoth election rally in Kalaburagi N.V. College Ground yesterday, Modi said Congress doesn’t respect the sacrifices of our soldiers.

“When our soldiers carried out surgical strikes, the Congress party questioned them. They kept on asking proof of the strikes from me. Should the soldiers carry camera or weapons,” he asked. If they want proof let them get from Pakistan where truckloads of dead soldiers of that country were removed, he added.

Stating that Karnataka was synonymous with valour but regretted the manner in which its brave heroes Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa and General K.S. Thimayya were “insulted.” “History is proof of that. In 1948, after defeating Pakistan, General Thimayya was insulted by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Defence Minister V.K. Krishna Menon,” he added.

“In 1948 General Thimayya-led Indian forces to a decisive victory against Pakistan. But the officer, who saved Jammu and Kashmir for India, was repeatedly insulted by the then PM Jawaharlal Nehru and Defence Minister Krishna Menon. Such insults had forced Gen. Thimayya to resign,” the Prime Minister said continuing his salvo against the Congress.

He said similarly, Field Marshal Kodandera Madappa Cariappa, who led Indian forces during 1962 India-China conflict, was also “insulted”. Modi said such things are nothing new or isolated instances as even present day’s Congress leaders have used abusive language for the incumbent Army Chief General Bipin Rawat. He said a senior Congress leader did not hesitate to call Gen. Rawat “a goonda (rowdy)”.