BJP govt conducted Balakot strike for winning polls: Farooq Abdullah

SRINAGAR: Former chief minister of Indian-occupied Jammu & Kashmir and National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah Monday said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in India ordered the air strike in Pakistan's Balakot with the "sole purpose" of winning the parliamentary elections.

The member of the parliament (MP) from Srinagar said the BJP had "failed" on all fronts and it was feared that there could be a skirmish with Pakistan ahead of the polls, so that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi becomes some kind of an "avatar" without whom India could not survive.

"This surgical strike was done only for the purpose of election. We lost an aircraft worth crores of rupees. Be thankful that the IAF pilot survived and returned from Pakistan," he told reporters.

Abdullah said the ruling BJP wanted to create an atmosphere of fear and that it was using a senior officer for this purpose.

"They want to create an atmosphere of fear. There would be no war. The whole world is watching. This government is only using the senior officer for winning the election, the officer whom they got by superseding many others and who is now dancing to their tunes. Otherwise, there is no danger."

The Srinagar MP maintained there was no other way but to talk to Pakistan over the Kashmir issue.

"They (New Delhi) have brought this (Kashmir) into the international limelight. Several countries are now involved in making India and Pakistan talk over Kashmir and they will have to engage themselves as it is the only way forward," he said.

Indian warplanes intruded into Pakistani airspace in the dark of night on February 26, however, they turned back swiftly soon after Pakistan Air Force scrambled its fighter jets.

In order make the escape, fleeing Indian jets dropped their payload in a hilly forest area near the northern Pakistani town of Balakot, about 40 km (25 miles) from the Line of Control (LoC).

The Indian government was quick to take credit for a successful "attack" and putting the death toll to over 300. Pakistani officials, as well as the locals, rejected the silly claims, inviting local and international media to visit the site of the so-called attack with around a dozen trees downed.

On February 27, Pakistan Air Force downed two Indian jets and captured an Indian Air Force pilot, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, as Indian Air Force once again ventured into Pakistani air territory.

Pakistan, however, released the captured pilot later as a "gesture of peace".