Government blasts opposition for seeking proof of IAF strike

PATNA/KOLKATA/NEW DELHI: The political war of words over IAF’s air strikes on a Jaish-e-Muhammed terror camp in Balakot escalated on Sunday, with PM Narendra Modi attacking Congress and other opposition parties for demanding proof of the raids and doubting the capability of India’s defence forces.

At an NDA rally in Patna, the PM said the Congress-led opposition was helping Pakistan and demoralising the armed forces. “They had asked for evidence of surgical strikes and they are now seeking proof of destruction of terrorist launch pads in Pakistan. I want to know from Congress and its allies why they are bent upon breaking the morale of our brave jawans,” he said. Echoing the sentiment, finance minister Arun Jaitley said in a blog post, “Statements made by opposition parties hurt India's national interest. They give smiles to Pakistan and become an instrument in Pakistan's hands to discredit India's operation to terrorism.”

The government's response came after Congress leader Digvijaya Singh joined Mehbooba Mufti and Mamata Banerjee in seeking evidence of the strikes. The row gathered steam on Sunday with CPM and Trinamool Congress latching on to Union minister S S Ahluwalia’s statement on Saturday that the IAF strikes “were not aimed to inflict any human casualty but to send out a message that India could strike deep inside enemy lines”.


CPM posted Ahluwalia’s video on its Twitter handle and asked, “Is the government now backtracking from its claims that they took out a terrorist camp in Pakistan?”

Trinamool leader Derek O’Brien claimed this exposed the Centre’s doublespeak. “Whodunit? Half a dozen Delhi TV channels obligingly carried ‘exaggerated’ numbers of casualties inflicted hours after the air strike. So, one must ask: Which top mantri in the Modi government deliberately fed fake news?” he said on Twitter.

In Patna, referring to senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh’s statement on Saturday that the government should provide proof of the air strikes, Modi said, “When there was a need to show unity, 21 opposition parties in Delhi passed a resolution against the NDA government. People will never pardon them.”

Speaking to reporters in Bhopal on Saturday, Singh had said, “I am not raising questions on the operation but this is the technical age and satellite pictures are possible. Like the US had given solid proof of the Osama bin Laden operation to the world, we should also do it for our air strikes.”

Former J&K CM Mehbooba Mufti on Sunday said it was “baffling” that those questioning the veracity of the Balakot strikes were being called “anti-national”. The PDP chief asked opposition parties not to fall into the trap of changing the election discourse from pressing issues like demonetisation, GST, unemployment and farmers distress to the air strikes.

Mufti said Indian citizens had every right to question the Balakot operation “especially due to the government’s ambiguity” about the details. “How does it help the enemies? Only puts government of India in a tight spot since they want to exploit this to reap electoral benefits,” she added.

Earlier, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee had asked the Centre to spell out “details” of the exact place where air raids were carried out and the casualties they inflicted.

In what was seen as a riposte to political rivals, the PM said the opposition was working overtime only to finish him while he was working to eliminate terrorism and corruption. “When the armed forces are working with dedication to wipe out terrorism in the country and across the border, some people in India are making statements which bring cheers to the enemy camp and are being shown repeatedly on TV screens in Pakistan,” Modi said at the historic Gandhi Maidan where Indian Mujahideen had triggered a series of bomb blasts during his ‘Hunkar Rally’ on October 27, 2013.

Sharpening his attack on Congress, Modi said, “The country has seen the approach of Congress and its allies on security issues. But this is Naya Hindustan… Now, the country does not remain silent on the martyrdom of its brave jawans. Chun chun ke badla leta hai (we avenge each and every attack).”

Finance minister Arun Jaitley accused the Congress-led UPA of running a “terrible” government and a “more terrible” opposition. Referring to a statement of Manmohan Singh, he said the former PM sought to elevate himself to the status of a neutral third party while raising doubts about India's right to defend its sovereignty. “I was most disappointed with a brief but highly objectionable statement of former PM Manmohan Singh,” Jaitley said.

While receiving the PV Narasimha Rao Award for lifetime achievement, Singh had said he was disturbed with the “mad rush of mutual self-destruction” by the two nations.