Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Wednesday said the air strikes against a terror camp in Pakistan will help the Bharatiya Janata Party win more than 22 seats in the state in the Lok Sabha elections, PTI reported.
India on Tuesday said it had carried out “non-military preemptive” strikes on the biggest camp of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed militant across the border. The Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed responsibility for the February 14 terror attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir in which 40 jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force were killed.
“For the first time in 40 years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bravery has resulted in Pakistan learning a lesson,” Yeddyurappa, who is the state BJP chief, said in Chitradurga, according to The News Minute. “When 42 of our soldiers were martyred, PM Modi had said he would extract revenge for the deaths of each soldier. With the preemptive strike, he has kept his promise.”
Yeddyurappa said the wind was “increasingly blowing in favour of the BJP” and the air strikes have led to a “pro-Modi wave” in the country. “I heard this morning [Wednesday] that our forces have shot down a Pakistani aircraft. If you see, people are rejoicing over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s move and they are celebrating. The impact of this strike will help BJP win more than 22 seats in the state,” he said. The state has 28 seats in the Lok Sabha.
Yeddyurappa said Narendra Modi will be the prime minister for a second term with a full majority after the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, reported The New Indian Express.
Yeddyurappa later clarified that his comments had been reported out of context and that he had made the same statement several times in the past, according to ANI. “I said that the ‘situation is favourable for BJP’, which I have been saying for the last couple of months,” he said. “This is not the first time that I said the BJP in Karnataka will win a minimum of 22 seats under the able leadership of Modiji.”
At present, BJP holds 16 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, while Congress has 10 and Janata Dal (Secular) two.
State Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao termed Yeddyurappa’s statement “disgusting, shameful and irresponsible”. “Using the J&K situation for political benefit,” he said. “Is winning elections becoming the criteria for BJP [and] not the security of India. Is going to war a electoral strategy for the BJP.”
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