Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Monday claimed that his statement on destruction of terror camps in Pak Occupied Kashmir using air strike was misconstrued by the media. He also denied having said this.

“I did not advise in the all-party meeting, instead all party leaders, including me, had supported the Centre’s position on this issue,” Mr. Pawar said in a statement issued on Monday.

As per reports in several Marathi newspapers, Mr. Pawar had said that it was his advise to conduct air strike in Pakistan after Pulwama terror attacks. He said this, according to the reports, while addressing an election campaign rally in Chakan on Sunday.

“The central government had called an all-party meeting after the Pulwama terror attack. The meeting unanimously passed a resolution supporting Indian armed forces. I was a part of it,” Mr. Pawar said.

The NCP chief added that the entire world knows the strength of Indian armed forces.

“Our power was visible for all to see in Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971 and later in the Kargil war. Therefore I am not in favor of discussing how many terrorists were killed in the air strike on terror camps in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir,” he said, adding that he feels politics should not be played over defence-related issues.

“Neither the Prime Minister nor the Defence Minister was present at the meeting. We got to know that the PM was in Maharashtra and campaigning for his party’s candidates,” Mr. Pawar said in Chakan.

He said, “On the one hand, Mr. Modi boasts he is the chowkidar (guardian), the country’s security is safe in his hands, and that he has a 56-inch chest. Then, what was he doing in Yavatmal, issuing these statements in the aftermath of the terror strike?”