NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday criticised the Congress party for questioning army operations, saying it has long been the party’s “old habit” to take a negative approach toward the armed forces.Narrating his government’s cross-border operations against Pakistan, PM Modi said the Congress party sought proof of the 2017 surgical strikes carried out at terrorist bases in PoJK after the Uri terror attack.During the Lok Sabha debate on Operation Sindoor, PM Modi further said: “But when they read the public mood, Congress changed tune to claim that their governments too had carried out surgical strikes.” “Opposing the army and showing negativity towards it — this has been Congress’s old attitude. The country just observed Kargil Vijay Diwas, but the nation knows that during its tenure, and even today, Congress has neither accepted the victory of Kargil, nor celebrated Kargil Vijay Diwas, nor honoured Kargil’s glory,” the PM said.PM Modi also lashed out at the Congress for demanding the photographic evidence after the 2019 Balakot airstrikes, which were carried out after a terrorist attack on an army convoy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama.The Prime Minister claimed that when Pakistan captured IAF pilot Abhinandan, some in India were “whispering quietly that now Modi is trapped”.“When pilot Abhinandan was captured, it was natural for there to be celebration in Pakistan — after all, they had caught a pilot from the Indian Air Force. But even here, there were some people whispering quietly… ‘Now Modi is trapped, let’s see what Modi does now’. Abhinandan returned — openly, proudly, and with full honour,” PM Modi said.“After the Pahalgam attack, when one of our BSF jawans was taken captive by Pakistan, they [Congress ] thought — Now Modi will be trapped. Now Modi will surely be disgraced. And their ecosystem spread all kinds of narratives on social media. What will happen to the BSF jawan? What will happen to his family? That BSF jawan too returned with honour, pride, and dignity,” PM Modi said.Praising India’s air defence system for neutralising Pakistani drones and missiles “like straws,” PM Modi took a jibe at the opposition and said: “Not just me but the entire country is laughing at you.” “Terrorists are crying, their masterminds are crying and seeing them cry, some people are crying here too. They tried to play a game during surgical strike, it didn’t work. During airstrike, they tried playing another game. That didn’t work either. When Operation Sindoor took place, they adopted a new tactic – “Why did you stop?”…Waah re bayan bahaduron! You need one or the other excuse to oppose. So, not just me but the entire country is laughing at you.