The Congress on Monday again demanded that the actual number of terrorists killed in the IAF air strike be revealed while accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of politicising the operation.
Congress leader and minister in the Punjab government Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday raised questions on the air strike and media reports that around 300 terrorists had been killed in the operation carried out on 26 February.
“300 terrorist dead, Yes or No? What was the purpose then? Were you uprooting terrorist or trees? Was it an election gimmick?” Sidhu wrote on Twitter.
“Deceit possesses our land in guise of fighting a foreign enemy. Stop politicising the army, it is as sacred as the state,” he added.
300 terrorist dead, Yes or No?
What was the purpose then? Were you uprooting terrorist or trees? Was it an election gimmick?
Deceit possesses our land in guise of fighting a foreign enemy.
Stop politicising the army, it is as sacred as the state.
ऊंची दुकान फीका पकवान| pic.twitter.com/HiPILADIuW
— Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) March 4, 2019
The minister also tagging media reports on the comments by Union Minister SS Ahluwalia and former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on the IAF strikes.
Sidhu’s remarks came on the day Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa said that the Indian Air Force does not calculate the number of the dead adding that the force counts the targets it has hit.
On the other hand, former Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram that he is ready to believe the government because he is a proud citizen but cautioned that Opposition-bashing will not help the government.
“As a proud citizen I am prepared to believe my government. But if we want the world to believe, government must make the effort, not indulge in Opposition-bashing,” he tweeted.
Referring to the tri-services press conference of 28 February, Chidambaram tweeted, “IAF Vice Air Marshal declined to comment on casualties. MEA statement said there were no civilian or military casualties. So, who put out the number of casualties as 300-350?”
As a proud citizen I am prepared to believe my government. But if we want the world to believe, government must make the effort, not indulge in Opposition-bashing.
— P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) March 4, 2019
When asked about the number of casualties in the 26 February IAF operation against a major terror camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Pakistan’s Balakot, AVM RGK Kapoor said that it is “premature to say number of casualties on the camp” but added that “whatever we intended to destroy we got that result”.
“We have evidence to show that whatever we wanted to do and targets we wanted to destroy, we have done that. Decision to show the evidence is on senior leadership,” the AVM added at the press briefing on 28 February.
Slamming the opposition leaders, Union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that they are “crying” while terrorists and their sponsors are being hit.
“Is this a coincidence or a partnership? It is unfortunate when the entire country is speaking in one voice to salute our armed forces’ valour, the Congress and its allies are raising such questions,” he said.
Earlier today, BJP president Amit Shah claimed that “more than 250” terrorists were killed in the operation. The government is yet to give out an official count of the terrorists killed.
“After Uri, our forces went into Pakistan and carried out surgical strikes. They avenged the death of our soldiers. After Pulwama, everyone thought there could be no surgical strikes, what will happen? But under (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi’s leadership, the government carried out an air strike after the 13th day and killed more than 250 terrorists,” Amit Shah said at a public rally in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad.
But in the afternoon today, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa said that IAF was not in a position to clarify the number of casualties while adding that it is the job of the government.
“We don’t count human casualties, we count what targets we have hit or not,” he said.
Read More: Air chief confirms hitting targets at Balakot, says IAF doesn’t count number of dead
Briefing the media in Coimbatore, the Chief of the Air Staff said that Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale has in his statement clearly amplified the target.
“The target has been clearly amplified by the Foreign Secretary in his statement. If we plan to hit the target, we hit the target, otherwise why would he (Pak PM) have responded, if we dropped bombs in the jungles why would he respond,” he said.