KOLKATA: Union minister Prakash Javadekar Monday criticised opposition parties for questioning the Indian Air Force’s bombing of a terror training camp in Pakistan, saying operational details cannot be shared as doing so will only help that country.
He said seeking proof of the operation in Balakot amounted to showing lack of confidence in the armed forces.”The whole country is proud of our armed forces…the Air Force. When they have conducted air strikes deep inside Pakistan, raising doubt and asking for proof is actually
helping Pakistan. Asking for proof amounts to not showing confidence in our Army and Air Force,” he told PTI. Javadekar’s comments came in the backdrop of growing
chorus by opposition parties, especially Congress leaders, for showing evidence of the pre-emptive strike on Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp by the Indian Air Force on February 26.
Javadekar is in West Bengal’s Burdwan district to attend a meeting of the BJP’s intellectual cell. When asked about the demand by some opposition leaders that the government release evidence of the air strike, the Human Resource Development Minister said,”There are operational details which are never shared because that will directly help Pakistan.
“There is a minimum decorum and it (the strike) should not be politicised the way opposition parties are politicising (it).”
“The whole country stands united with our armed forces and Air Force. It is absolutely untenable that you ask about the details. Which plane? How they did it? Which bombs were used? You are asking for operational details which is untenable and no country does this, he said. Several senior Congress leaders including Digvijay Singh and Kapil Sibal have sought proof of Indian Air Force’s strike that was believed to have destroyed the biggest camp of Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pakistan.
“Modi ji must answer as the international media like New York Times, Washington Post, London-based Jane Information group, Daily Telegraph, the Guardian and Reuters, are reporting that there is no proof of militant losses at Balakot in Pakistan,” Sibal said.
“You are guilty of politicising terror,” Sibal said on Twitter. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clear the doubt as one
of his ministers had denied TV news that 300 terrorists were killed in the air strike on February 26. “Modi ji, Your central minister is denying TV news that prime minister Modi has never confirmed the killing of 300 terrorists in IAF air strikes in Pakistan.s it true. If not, the prime minister should tell the truth to the country,” he said on Twitter.
Surjewala also put out a news report about Union minister SS Ahluwalia’s comments. Punjab minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu said, “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 the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. Stop politicising the Army, it is as sacred as the State,” he said, adding “Oonchi Dukaan, Pheeka Pakwan” (big talk, no delivery).
Refuting allegations that BJP was trying to gain political mileage from the air assault ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, Javadekar said his party never uses the bravery of jawans to serve its political purposes. For the BJP, he said, national security is above politics. “We BJP never use the bravery of jawans for political purpose. The fact of the matter is even after 26/11 (Mumbai terror attacks 2008) the Army had shown willingness to act but it was not permitted (by the then UPA government). The present government permitted (the attack),” he said.
Javadekar recollected how the then prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had allowed nuclear tests at Pokhran in 1998 after four previous prime ministers did not take a call and sign the order on the file. (AGENCIES)
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