Government didn't leak surgical strike footage: Parrikar
Panaji, June 28: Former Defence Minister and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday said the media should not probe how sensitive footage of the 2016 surgical strikes was accessed and broadcast on national television, and insisted the Defence Ministry did not leak the footage with an eye on the upcoming general elections.
"I don't think government has released it. Somehow, some people may have managed to get a small bite of it. So that's all. Let it be shown. Why are you going into the issues of how it has come, why it has come? Some people asked me about elections... Elections are quite far...," Parrikar told reporters at the state Secretariat.
"Like you (journalists) get the scoop, the media must have managed to get the scoop from somewhere. It is there," the former Defence Minister said. He, however, refused to certify the leaked footage of the 2016 surgical strikes, which was broadcast on national news channels on Wednesday.
"I have not certified the video, I am only certifying that the surgical strikes took place," Parrikar said.
The Chief Minister said there was no indication that the Defence Ministry had released the footage to the media.
"I am not aware if it is released by the Defence Ministry. As far as I am concerned, I do not see any indication that it is released by the Ministry. Some channels started showing it yesterday (Wednesday)," Parrikar said.
He also said that Pakistan never really questioned the strikes because of the neighbouring country's strategic limitations.
"Pakistan actually never questioned. Pakistan did not comment on our claim on surgical strikes. Either they have to accept it... If they accept it, they have to retaliate against it. So they have their own limitations. Our opposition (parties), some, not all, doubted. This (the footage) is adequate proof for that," Parrikar said.
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RR beat RCB by six wickets in IPL
Guwahati (PTI): Blistering fifties by Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Dhruv Jurel powered Rajasthan Royals to a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL match here on Friday.
Sent in to bat, RCB rode on a fighting half-century by skipper Rajat Patidar (63) to post 201 for 8.
Virat Kohli (32), Romario Shepherd (22) and Venkatesh Iyer (29) also chipped in with useful contributions.
In reply, Sooryavanshi (78 off 26 balls) and Dhruv Jurel (81 not out off 43 balls) shared a 37-ball 108-run partnership for the second wicket to set the platform. Krunal Pandya (2/30) tried to bring them back with back-to-back wickets.
But Jurel, in the company of Ravindra Jadeja (24), completed the task with another 68-run stand, with two overs to spare.
For RR, Jofra Archer (2/33), Ravi Bishnoi (2/32) and Brijesh Sharma (2/37) took two wickets.
Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bengaluru: 201 for 8 in 20 overs (Rajat Patidar 63; Jofra Archer 2/33, Ravi Bishnoi 2/32, Brijesh Sharma 2/37).
Rajasthan Royals: 202 for 4 in 18 overs (Vaibhav Sooryavanshi 78, Dhruv Jurel 80 not out; Krunal Pandya 2/30, Josh Hazlewood 2/44).
