RSS lessons helped us decide on surgical strikes: Manohar Parikkar

Defence minister Manohar Parikkar on Monday credited Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) teachings for inspiring him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take the ‘tough’ decision of carrying out surgical strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir last month.

“Prime Minister hails from the land of Mahatma Gandhi and defence minister from Goa, which have no martial race, and these surgical strikes... it is quite a different kind of combination, may be the RSS teachings were the common core,” Parrikar said, addressing students and teachers at a local university during a 'Know Your Army' event.

He said both, Modi and himself, were target of severe criticism on social media after the terrorists struck and killed 19 armymen at an Indian Army camp in



Uri. 

“Now, some people want proof of the surgical strikes. These people will never accept the truth even if we provide them with concrete proof,” he said.  “When the Indian Army says something, we should believe it. It (Army) is the world's best, professional, brave and having very high integrity. I do not feel that anybody will seek proof from them (Army) here in Ahmedabad.”

He said though the attacks on Indian security, like the one at Uri, were an ongoing feature for the last four-five years, it was for the first time that India had given a befitting reply. “The surgical strikes have achieved two things – firstly, the country has become sensitive to national security and secondly the entire nation has united behind the army.”