New Delhi [India], May 3 (ANI): BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla has accused the Congress of 'hurting' the morale of the armed forces after former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi stoked controversy by demanding proof of the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian armed forces in Pakistan territory in the past under the BJP government at the Centre.

'Congress has become the Pakistan Prast Party (PPP). Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah says no action should be taken against Pakistan... Again, they are trying to demoralise the armed forces... Earlier, Rahul Gandhi also demanded proof of the surgical strike...Robert Vadra and other Congress party leaders have given a clean chit to Pakistan and blamed Hindutva. They always match their tunes with Pakistan,' BJP spokesperson Poonawalla said in a video message.

'When the whole country is standing behind the army so that they can give a befitting reply to the terrorists, the Congress party is hurting the morale of the army,' he added.

Congress MP and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi stoked controversy by demanding proof of the surgical strikes carried out by the Indian armed forces in Pakistan territory in the past under the BJP government at the Centre.

Casting doubts over the strikes, the former Punjab CM said that he has always demanded proof of it.

'...Till date, I could not find where the (surgical) strike took place, where men were killed at that time, and where this happened in Pakistan. Will we not find out if a bomb is dropped in our country? They say that they did a surgical strike in Pakistan. Nothing had happened. Nowhere was a surgical strike seen. Nobody came to know...I have always demanded (proof). But today, people's wounds need to be tended to. We demand that the Government do something. Tell people who they (perpetrators of the Pahalgam Terrorist Attack) are and punish them,' Channi said at a press conference.

Responding to Channi's remarks, Delhi Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said that the Congress leader's comments reflect the 'dirty mentality of the Gandhi family'.

'Congress has again raised questions on the Indian Air Force. Former Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi has once again said that he does not believe in the surgical strike, and he wants proof of the surgical strike. What kind of mentality is this of the Congress party, the Gandhi family, Rahul Gandhi, that they keep questioning the army, the Indian Air Force?' Sirsa said.

'Pakistan itself is saying that India has caused a lot of damage by conducting surgical strikes ... Charanjit Singh Channi has again shown the dirty politics and dirty mentality of the Gandhi family, who always question the army and demoralise the forces. I condemn this,' he added.

Earlier, Congress in its CWC meeting called on the government to act against those who have spread terror in the Pahalgam attack, saying that the party is committed to the country's unity and oneness.The government had announced that caste enumeration would be included in the next Census.

Former Punjab government Charanjit Singh Channi also urged the government to work for the rehabilitation of the family members of the victims in the Pahalgam attack. (ANI)