SURAT: BJP president Amit Shah Sunday hit out at opposition parties, alleging they “raised doubts” on the courage of the armed forces while adding “our brave air force jawans killed hundreds of terrorists in an air strike and came back safely.”
He said the Opposition parties’ demand for proof of the IAF air strike brought a “smile on Pakistan’s face.”
He said these parties should “keep quiet” if they were unable to appreciate what Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the country’s armed forces had achieved through the air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot.
Talking to reporters in Siliguri on Saturday Union Minister S S Ahluwalia said the purpose of the strike was not to cause human casualty but to send out the message that India is capable of hitting deep inside enemy lines.
Ahluwalia said neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor any government spokesperson had given any figure on casualty of air strikes.
“I have seen reports in Indian media and international media and also what Modi-ji had said. After the air strike, there was a rally by Modi-ji and he didn’t say anything on the casualty figures. I want to ask if Modi ji, or any government spokesperson, or our party president Amit Shah has given any figures?”
The video of Ahluwalia’s comments was posted by the CPI(M) on its Twitter handle with a question: “Is the Govt now backtracking from its claims that they took out a Terrorist Camp in Pakistan? (sic)”
Praising the PM’s leadership, Shah claimed Modi went about his work routinely even as he thought up a plan to punish the perpetrators of the Pulwama attack on February 14 which killed 40 CRPF personnel.
“Opposition leaders do not know what happened. Mamata di asks for proof. Rahul baba says it is being politicised. Akhilesh asks for a probe. Be ashamed that your statements have brought a smile on Pakistan’s face,” Shah said.
“After the Pulwama attack, people said surgical strike was not possible, as army could not go (to bust terror camps). Modiji, while going about his routine work quietly, decided and planned (the counterattack) and our brave air force jawans killed hundreds of terrorists in an air strike and came back safely,” he said. (PTI)
