Modi govt continues to face severe criticism, questions over Balakot airstrike claims
March 05, 2019
The Narendra Modi-led Indian government continues to face severe criticism and questions over its claims of 300 casualties in the February 26 Balakot airstrike.
Senior Indian politicians and journalists have been raising questions over the claims of Indian media and government officials that 300 alleged terrorists were killed in the so-called airstrikes in Balakot.
On Monday, Senior Indian Congress Leader P Chidambaram slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for politicising the Pulwama attack.
Speaking at the book launch of his book ‘Undaunted: Saving the Idea of India’, Chidambaram said, "[Indian] prime minister is politicising Pulwama and its consequences. He is trying to take political advantage.”
“The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government has shifted its focus from terrorism to Pakistan," he added. The government will have to make efforts for the world to believe its claims that a Pakistani F-16 was shot down and 300 alleged terrorists were killed in the airstrike, the senior Congress leader added.
Further, Indian journalist Suhasani Haider pointed out that Indian Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa's statement that the Indian Air Force (IAF) "can't count how many people died" in the airstrike "counters claims by [Indian] government and party [BJP]".
Irked by the severe criticism, Modi while addressing a political rally in Patna on Sunday said, “The comments made by Indian politicians become headlines in Pakistani newspapers.”
“The Pakistan Parliament is discussing them. Will you make remarks which Pakistan applauds?” he added.
Several Congress leaders, including Navjot Singh Sidhu, Kapil Sibal and Ajay Singh, and the international media have raised questions over the air strikes. While Sidhu asked "if the strike was to uproot terrorists or trees”, Kapil Sibal quoted international media reports and said "hardly anyone died in Balakot". Congress leader Ajay Singh also quoted a New York Times report to say that "there was no damage due to air strikes".
