LONDON: Rahul Gandhi has added his voice to claims that the Indian Armycarried out surgical strikes on Pakistan earlier in the year, saying hisparty supports such action “100 percent”.

Pakistan rubbished the claim when it was originally made and duly warnedinternational organisations, including the United Nations, that theresponsibility for the “escalating crisis” would rest with New Delhi.

Talking candidly to a select group representing international governments,the business community, academia and media at London’s InternationalInstitute for Strategic Studies, Mr Gandhi persisted with his tendency tomake controversial remarks when faced with questions requiring diplomaticsobriety.

Following his recent remarks about the reasons behind the creation of ISIS,made at Bucerius Summer School in Hamburg, which left riled many in India,the Nehru dynasty scion has now encroached on a domain traditionallyoccupied by militant Bharatiya Janata Party politicians by discussingIndia’s western neighbour.

He had angered many BJP supporters by saying: “It is very dangerous in the21st century to exclude people… If you don’t give people a vision in the21st century, somebody else will. And that’s the real risk of excluding alarge number of people from the development process.” Hindu nationaliststook these remarks as a direct accusation against the ruling BJP forexcluding tribals, Dalits and minorities from the development narrative.