evidence: "Multiple surgical strikes took place during our tenure as well. For us, military operations were meant for strategic deterrence and giving a befitting reply to anti-India forces than to be used for vote garnering exercises," Singh was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times. The statement comes amid the BJP’s poll narrative revolving around national security, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi repeatedly invoking the surgical strikes and the Balakot air strikes in his campaign. Other Congress leaders, including party chief Rahul Gandhi, have also said that multiple surgical strikes were conducted by the armed forces when Manmohan Singh was the Prime Minister. But this is the first time that he himself has confirmed this.