National Conference chairman Farooq Abdullah on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government of lying to the nation. At a public meeting in Srinagar, Abdullah said that the American government has refuted claims of Indian Army bringing down a Pakistani F-16 jet.
"He first promised 15 lakh rupees in every Indians bank account, that never happened. For a few seconds, he sent some jets in Pakistan's Balakot to drop some bombs and then said 300 people died. Some said 500 had died, some 700. Even if one man dies everybody hears about it, so how is it possible that 300 men died without any news," Abdullah said.
He then went on to add, "They then claimed that they had brought down one Pakistani F-16, just today the American government has refuted that claim stating that all Pakistani F-16 jets are intact. Not one has been shot down. There is some basis to even a lie. Why do you lie Modi ji? Did you defeat Pakistan? Did Pak stop existing? Why do you lie Modiji? Whichever government comes to power in the centre, I pray this one doesn't come back."
In a twist to the claims made by India of shooting down US-made Pakistani F-16, the Foreign Policy magazine in an article said that America has not found any planes supplied to Pakistan missing from the inventory.
Foreign Policy's Lara Seligman claimed that United States officials have told her that all of Pakistan's F-16 jets are accounted for and none of them is missing, following a recent check by US personnel after the February incident with India.
This is in direct contradiction to India's claim that IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman shot down a Pakistani F-16 with his MiG-21 Bison before his plane was downed. Varthaman was captured by the Pakistani forces and later released as a peace gesture, according to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan.
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