Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], May 3 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao on Saturday hit out at former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi over the latter demanding proof regarding the 2019 Balakot airstrike, saying that Congress' intentions were 'not right' since they try to bring down the morale of the security forces.

'This shows the mindset of Congress leaders; they try to bring down the morale of the security forces and discourage the bravery of the jawans. The truth is their intentions are not right,' Sao told ANI.

He said that the prompt action taken by the centre was indicative of the government's intentions, which were to teach Pakistan a lesson over the deadly Pahalgam terrorist attack, which killed 26 people and injured many.

'The kind of statement Congress is making is not right. The prompt action taken by the government is historic and revolutionary. The government's policy and intention are very clear. The government is working to teach Pakistan a lesson. The Union Home Minister has clearly, 'ek ek atankwadi ko chun chun ke marenge',' Sao said.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader CR Kesavan lashed out at former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi for casting doubts regarding the surgical strikes carried out by the armed forces in 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack, where 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans were killed. He said that Congress' sympathy for the victims of the deadly Pahalgam terrorist attack was an 'outright lie'.

He further accused Channi of suspecting the patriotism of the armed forces. He said that the Congress was trying to 'lower the morale' of the forces amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.

'When Rahul Gandhi claims that Congress sympathises with victims of terror attacks, it is an outright lie. Yesterday, we saw Charanjit Singh Channi in a press conference, shamelessly suspecting the patriotism and courage of the armed forces and insulting our defence personnel. Channi's statement exposes the deepest, divisive and dangerous ideology of Congress,' Kesavan said in a self-made video.

This comes after 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.

'To 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. (ANI)