Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that India should ‘conduct a surgical strike’ on China and Pakistan if they have proof that the two countries are behind the farmers’ agitation that has been going on past 15 days.

“If a Union minister has information that China and Pakistan have a hand behind farmers’ agitation, then, the Defence Minister should immediately conduct a surgical strike on China and Pakistan. The President, PM, Home Minister and Chiefs of the Armed Forces should discuss this issue seriously,” the Sena leader said in Mumbai.

Raut was responding to Union minister Raosaheb Danve’s comment on Wednesday that China and Pakistan were behind the ongoing protests by farmers, who are seeking repeal of three new farm laws.

He also alleged that Muslims were earlier misled over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), but as those efforts did not succeed, now farmers were being told that they will face losses due to the new laws.

“The agitation that is going on is not that of farmers. China and Pakistan have a hand behind this. Muslims in this country were incited first. What was said (to them)? That NRC is coming, CAA is coming and Muslims will have to leave this country in six months. Did a single Muslim leave? “Those efforts didn’t succeed and now farmers are being told that they will face losses. This is the conspiracy of other countries,” Danve said, reports PTI.

Danve was speaking at the inauguration of a health centre at Kolte Takli in Badnapur taluka of Maharashtra’s Jalna district.