New Delhi: Almost terming fake all media reports that claimed 300 terrorists were killed in Indian Air Force (IAF) airstrikes in Pakistan's Balakot last Tuesday Union Minister SS Ahluwalia said neither Prime Minister Narendra Modi nor BJP Amit Shah had confirmed the number of casualties.
“I’ve followed both the local and international media. I’ve listened to the prime minister as well. After the airstrikes, he had delivered a speech. Did he say that 300 people were killed? Did any BJP spokesperson confirm this? Did Amit Shah say any such thing?" Ahluwalia, Prime Minister Modi's close confidant, said at a press conference.
"By dropping the bomb at your doorstep, we are trying to send across a message that we are capable of destruction. This is what was required,” he added.
Ahluwalia was referring to the media reports that soon after IAF fighter jets crossed into Pakistani airspace and dropped bombs in Balakat citing unnamed government sources claimed that 300 terrorists were killed in the attack. Some media groups in fact put the figure as 375.
International media groups however refused to buy these reports and went by the claim made by Pakistan that the airstrike could damage only few trees.
Responding to Ahluwalia's latest statement, Congress spokesperson Manish Tiwari, slammed Prime Minister Modi saying he was blaming the opposition parties but now his own ministers are raising questions.
"We never asked for any proof yet PM Modi blamed us. But, now Modi's own minister is saying that the Balakot airstrike was only to warn Pakistan and not to kill anyone. What does it mean? Prime Minister Modi should explain to the country", he said while addressing the media Sunday.
Tiwari also asked Modi to explain his statement in which he said "the situation would have been different if we had Rafale jets".
"What does it mean? What the prime minister wants to say?" he asked, accusing the Modi government of cancelling the Rafale jet contract to help his corporate freinds.
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