New Delhi: In an apparent dig at the Central government on the occasion of Vijay Diwas, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said it is a matter of time when neighbouring countries of India were afraid of violating the border of the country and believed in the might of Prime Minister of India.

"On the occasion of India's historic victory over Pakistan in '71, greetings to the countrymen and salute the valour of the Army. It is a matter of time when the neighbouring countries of India believed in the might of the Prime Minister of India and were afraid of violating the border of our country! #VijayDiwas," Gandhi tweeted (roughly translated from Hindi).

Earlier, the Congress in a tweet said that it bows head to valiant soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces and the "lion-hearted leadership" of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

"We bow our head in deep salutations to the valiant soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces & the lion-hearted leadership of Indira ji, for not only registering a thumping victory in the Indo-Pak War of 1971 but also wiping off tears of terror from millions in Bangladesh. #VijayDiwas," the party tweeted.

After Pakistan faced defeat in the 1971 war, the Army Chief of Pakistan General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, along with his 93,000 troops, surrendered to allied forces which also comprised Indian Army personnel.

In the 1971 war, India divided Pakistan into two pieces. This is one of India's biggest victories.

Vijay Diwas is celebrated on December 16 every year to commemorate India's victory over Pakistan in 1971.