Former Union Minister P Chidambaram on Monday asked Army Chief General Bipin Rawat to tell the nation how many surgical strikes have taken place in the last 20 years.
His remarks came as Rawat said he believed there was a need for another surgical strike on terror launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in view of the current situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
"Army Chief says that there is need for another surgical strike. Good, he is the best judge. But will he please tell us how many surgical strikes (cross border action against Pakistan) have taken place in the last 20 years," Chidambaram tweeted.
The Indian Army conducted surgical strikes on terror launch pads across the Line of Control on September 29 two years ago.
Earlier, the Army chief, when asked whether on a TV channel there is a need for one more surgical strike, responded in affirmative.
"I believe there is a need for one more action (surgical strike). But I would not want to disclose how we want to do it," he said in an interview to India Today.
On Sunday, Rawat had backed the government's decision to call off dialogue with Pakistan, asserting that talks and terror cannot go together.
The government on Friday had called off a meeting between the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan in New York, citing the brutal killings of three policemen in Jammu and Kashmir and Islamabad releasing postage stamps "glorifying" Kashmiri militant Burhan Wani.
Last week, a BSF soldier was shot dead and his body was found mutilated.
Rawat had also said infiltration from across the border persists despite the call for a ceasefire by Pakistan and stressed that this cannot be allowed to continue and appropriate action has to be taken to deter terrorists from disrupting the peace in the Valley.
(With PTI inputs)
