
Accusing opposition parties of indulging in “vote bank politics” by questioning the air strikes carried out in Pakistan’s Balakot, BJP President Amit Shah on Saturday said they should be ashamed of themselves for doubting the country’s soldiers.
“Mamata Banerjee questioned surgical strikes. Akhilesh (Yadav) wants a probe in Pulwama. There is a limit to vote bank politics,” Shah said addressing a public meeting in Umaria, Madhya Pradesh, before participating in Vijay Sankalp Bike Rally. The party said nearly one crore youths took out similar bike rallies across India on Saturday to resolve to bring back Narendra Modi as prime minister again.
Shah said country’s security was more important for the BJP than elections. He said elections are not being held because one family wants to install a Shahzada (Rahul Gandhi) on the throne but to ensure country’s security, to give a befitting reply to Pakistan, for the welfare of 50 crore poor and to take the country’s honour to peak.
“We have made it clear to separatists that if they want to live in India they have to speak India’s language not Pakistan’s,” Shah said, referring to Centre’s decision to ban Jammat-e-Islami (JeI) on grounds that it was “in close touch” with militant groups.
The BJP leader said more terrorists were killed during the five year rule of Modi than any five-year period since 1990. He said unlike the Congress and other governments in the past, the Modi-led government has given a befitting reply to Pakistan. “We sent a message that now it’s a Narendra Modi government and no can go unpunished for shedding the blood of soldiers. They thought elections are around and there will be no counter-attack but elections are not a priority for us. Air force entered Pakistan and killed hundreds there.”
Pakistan-sponsored terrorism has existed for nearly three decades but no one dared to avenge the deaths of security personnel. “You accuse of politicking. Did you ever have guts to take on terrorists or to give a betting reply to Pakistan? Narendra Modi has fulfilled that wish,” he said. The BJP leader claimed even the Pakistani media, parliament and terror organizations that lost their members have accepted air strikes “but not Rahul Gandhi and Mamata.”
“Can you raise questions when the defence forces hold a press conference and say that hundreds have been killed? After 23 political parties passed a resolution and Rahul Gandhi held a press conference, Pakistan felt good. We were in Opposition for so long but never spoke the language that made Pakistan feel good. We backed the government irrespective of who was in power.”