Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram and party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Monday hit out at the ruling dispensation for its claims on the number of terrorists killed in the Balakot air strike by the Indian Air Force (IAF).
At an election rally in Ahmedabad, BJP President Amit Shah allegedly claimed that more than 250 terrorists were killed in the air strike on a terrorist training camp last week.
“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,” Mr. Sidhu, a Punjab Minister, said in a tweet.
Mr. Chidambaram said as a proud citizen he was prepared to believe the government but “if we want the world to believe, government must make the effort, not indulge in Opposition bashing.”
“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 ?,” he said on twitter.
Mr. Chidambaram, the former Union Finance Minister, questioned as to why Prime Minister Narendra Modi was silent about the air strike. Congress president Rahul Gandhi was the first to salute the IAF for its splendid achievement, he said, adding, “Why has Mr. Modi forgotten that?”
