Lt General D S Hooda (Retired), who was the Northern Army Commander in September 2016 when Indian troops carried out the surgical strikes on terror launch pads along the Line of Control, said the "overhype" of the strikes did not help and "it is not good" when "military operations get politicised". He was speaking at a Military literature festival when he made those comments. The Chief of Army General Bipin Rawat said that it was his individual opinion. Citing Lt Gen Hooda's comments, Congress President Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Modi, saying the BJP used the military operation to gain political capital.