BJP Trying To Politicize Air Strike Says P Chidambaram

On Tuesday Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram accused BJP of politicizing the IAF airstrike in Pakistan's Balakot by speaking about the number of causalities without any confirmation.

On Sunday addressing at a political event in Ahmedabad, BJP party chief Amit Shah quoted that more than 250 terrorists were killed in the Indian Air Force (IAF) operation. The Congress is not questioning about the armed forces but the ruling BJP and Prime Minister Modi for politicizing the issue.

The Congress had condemned the Pulwama attack and the government's response of an air strike in Balakot was praiseworthy. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was among the first to salute the IAF, Chidambaram mentioned. He also added stating, “So, the Indian Air Force struck a target and the Air Chief says I achieved my objective of striking the target. No question. I accept it. I salute the Indian Air Force Chief. I accept it and I accept his word. Until then, there was no division or debate in this country.”

The debate started when people started throwing about numbers on the casualties caused by the air strike, Chidambaram said at an interactive meeting on ‘Saving the idea of India' organized by Manthan, a forum for public discourse. "it is the numbers which have stirred controversy," he said, adding that the first figure was thrown at a private briefing without any attribution and then another number appeared on TV channels.

Why did you throw up a number? All you had to say was there was an attack on the CRPF convoy and Indian Air Force retaliated. We have struck our target and we have returned unscathed. The matter is over. You try to politicize it by these numbers and these numbers are boomeranging on the government, Chidambaram quoted.