Minister of External Affairs Sushma Swaraj on Sunday criticised the Opposition for raising doubts about the Indian Air Force’s strike across the border on February 26, PTI reported. She was speaking at an event with the Bharatiya Janata Party’s female workers in Mumbai.
“To those who question the strikes, we should ask them whether our jawans should count the dead bodies [after dropping bombs on terror camps] or return safely after carrying out the air strike,” Swaraj said.
India has said that the air strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammad camp in Pakistan’s Balakot on February 26 were carried out in response to a terrorist attack on a Central Reserve Police Force convoy in Kashmir’s Pulwama on February 14, which killed 40 soldiers.
Several Opposition leaders, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, had asked the Centre whether the air strikes were related to the General Elections, which are expected to be held in April and May. They had asked the government to share details about the strike.
Swaraj purportedly said the BJP will release literature countering the doubts raised about the strikes soon, PTI reported. “We will have two leaflets, of which one will be about these logical counter statements,” she said. “BJP workers should use it during the poll campaign. The other leaflet will be about government welfare schemes for women. The two leaflets will be made available soon.”
On Friday, Home Minister Rajnath Singh criticised the Opposition for demanding proof of the Indian Air Force’s strike. Speaking at a rally in Rajasthan’s Beawar, Singh had said the Opposition was questioning the IAF instead of congratulating it, and added that warriors do not count the people who are killed in war.
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