Milking airstrikes for politics: Congress blasts Amit Shah for saying 250 terrorists killed

Photo: PTI

HIGHLIGHTS

• India carried out pre-emptive strike on Jaish after Pulwama
• Tensions between New and Delhi and Islamabad soared
• Amit Shah said on Sunday 250 terrorists had been killed in the operation

Former Union Minister Manish Tewari accused Amit Shah on Monday of using India's airstrikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed for political gain, pointing to the BJP president's claim that more that 250 terrorists were killed in the operation.

Made furious by a suicide bombing that killed 40 of its paramilitary personnel, India said last week it had carried out a pre-emptive strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed in Balakot, located in Pakistan's Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province. A Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) statement made on the same day said a large number of terrorists had been eliminated.

Later, the Indian Air Force said there was evidence that its jets had hit their intended targets but that it was premature to assess casualties.

On Saturday, the journalist Taha Siddiqui tweeted an audio clip in which the younger brother of Jaish-e-Mohammed's leader says India struck the terrorist group's madrasa.

Manish Tiwari referred to the IAF's description of what unfolded in Balakot when he asked, of Amit Shah's remarks: "Is this not milking airstrikes for politics?"

AVM RGK Kapoor said "it would be premature to say that what is the number of casualties that we have been able to inflict on those camps and what is the number of deaths," BUT @AmitShahsays over 250 Terrorists killed in airstrike. Is this not milking Air Strikes for Politics????

Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) March 4, 2019

Kapil Sibal, also a former Congress minister, asked if Prime Minister Narendra Modi was guilty of "politicising terror", pointing to foreign media reports saying there was no proof that terrorists were killed in Balakot.

Modiji :

Is international media :

1) New York Times

2) London based Jane's Information Group

3) Washinton Post

4) Daily Telegraph

5) The Guardian

6) Reuters

reporting no proof of militant losses at Balakot pro-Pakistan ?

You are guilty of politicising terror ?

Kapil Sibal (@KapilSibal) March 4, 2019

P Chidambaram, a former Union Minister for Home Affairs, asked who put out the number of casualties at 300-350 -- echoing remarks he made at the India Today Conclave on Saturday.

At the conclave, Chidambaram said it was the political party behind the government which had fed the news that over 300 or 350 jihadis had been killed. He also praised the Air Force and the MEA for what he said were restrained statements.

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?

P. Chidambaram (@PChidambaram_IN) March 4, 2019

"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," Chidambaram tweeted on Monday.

SOURCE