New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched a sharply worded attack on Congress after the grand old party’s Indian Overseas chief Sam Pitroda questioned the death toll in Balakot air strike by Indian Air Force (IAF) in response to February 14 Pulwama militant attack.
“The Opposition insults our forces time and again. I appeal to my fellow Indians — question Opposition leaders on their statements. Tell them — 130 crore Indians will not forgive or forget the Opposition for their antics. India stands firmly with our forces,” PM Modi tweeted.
The PM described Pitroda, a close aide of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, as “loyal courtier of Congress’ royal dynasty”.
“This is shameful. Congress should understand that this is a New India — we will answer terrorists in a language they understand and with interest,” Modi further stated.
Commenting on the figure of 300 Pakistani militants being killed by IAF in a militant camp in Balakot across the Line of Control (LoC) on February 26, Pitroda said, “give me more facts and prove it.”
He stressed that entire Pakistan could not be blamed for terror attacks in India.
“In November 26, 2008 attack on Mumbai, eight people came from Pakistan and did something. But you can’t jump on the entire nation for that. It is naive to assume that just because some people came here and attacked, every citizen of that nation is to be blamed. I don’t believe in that way,” Pitroda had told media on Thursday.
On the February 14 Pulwama attack in which more than 40 were killed, Pitroda said, “I don’t know much about attacks. It happens all the time. The attack happened in Mumbai also, we could have then reacted and just sent our planes but that is not right approach. According to me, that is not how you deal with world.”
Also Pitroda sought a dialogue with Pakistan.
“I am a Gandhian, I believe in more compassion and respect. I believe in more dialogues personally. I think we should have a dialogue with everybody. Why just Pakistan? We are having dialogue with the whole world,” he added.
Reacting to Pitroda’s statements, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah slammed Congress, using the hashtag #JantaMaafNahiKaregi (India will not forgive) on Twitter.
“The difference between Opposition and BJP is clear. They suspect our army, we are proud of our army. Their heart beats for terrorists, ours beats for the national flag. This election, through the power of your vote, do a surgical strike on the Congress culture. #JantaMaafNahiKaregi,” Shah tweeted.
Union minister Piyush Goyal said Congress had the habit of speaking the language of terror apologists.
“Once again Congress has proved that the party speaks the language of terror apologists. Time and again, they betray our soldiers and insult the memories of our martyrs. Congress speaks, Pakistan gets headlines. #JantaMaafNahiKaregi,” Goyal said in a tweet.
In the face of grave criticism, Congress sounded defensive with party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala calling the Balakot air strike “a shining example of valour of IAF.”
“Congress has unequivocally said that Pulwama terror attack was a grave national security failure of Modi government but Balakot air strike was a shining example of valour of our Air Force. Pakistan’s terror outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and others will never succeed in their evil designs,” Surjewala told media.
