The Congress on Sunday targeted the Modi government over the alleged leak of intelligence inputs regarding the Balakot airstrikes and questioning whether sensitive information had also reached spies and informers working for Pakistan.
"Did a journalist (and his friend) know about the retaliatory strike on Balakot camp three days before the actual strike? If yes, what is the guarantee that their ‘source’ did not share the information with others as well, including spies or informers working for Pakistan,” asked former Home Minister and senior Congress leader P Chidambaram.
He also sought to know how a “for our eyes only” decision found its way to a “government-supporting journalist”.
"It's a major security lapse if our military secrets and strategies on Balakot strike were leaked by someone in central government to private players for their benefit. This calls for an investigation and prosecution of culprits. Leaking of classified military information amounts to treason," Chhattisgarh Health Minister T S Singhdeo said.
Asked about certain disclosures in the purported WhatsApp chats between Republic TV Editor Arnab Goswami and former Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) CEO Partho Dasgupta, Congress’ chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala said the party was examining the voluminous data and would come out with an official response in the next two days.
"It is a grave risk to the national security that sensitive military plans are leaked. There must be a fact-finding investigation into the leak, the sources be revealed and the guilty be punished. Only this will send a clear message to the rank and file," Gaurav Gogoi, deputy leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha said.