Mumbai: The Shiv Sena on Tuesday said that the country had every right to know the number of casualties that had taken place during the air strike at Balakot. This question was being asked not only by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s political opponents but also media organisations in England, America and other countries. Taking a dig at the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Sena mouthpiece Saamana said that the air strike would dominate discussions until the upcoming general election while burning issues would take a backseat.
On February 26, Indian Air Force (IAF) jets targeted the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s biggest training camp in Pakistan in retaliation to the terror outfit’s attack in the Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir wherein more than 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed on February 14.
“The force has taken action and the citizens of this country have a right to know the actual loss of the enemy country; how much and to what extent damage has been caused. If this question is also reducing the morale of the force, we don't think so,” the Sena said in an editorial in Saamana. The force is having high morale and strong minds.
A capable force would not be distracted from its aim just because of criticism from the Opposition, the Sena said. The masses are under the fever of war, which has disappointed the Opposition.
The editorial further said, “Where did the 300kg RDX, used in the Pulwama attack, come from? How many terrorists were killed in our attack? Discussions around them will go on until the last days of elections because before the Pulwama attack, inflation, unemployment and the Rafale jet deal were burning issues for the Opposition.”
But the Modi government has shattered discussions over these issues by dropping its bomb. The party also said that the narrative had been changed and the discussion was going on across the country over IAF’s airstrike in the Pakistan. It also said that issues like the Ram temple, Article 370, farmers’ issues had “turned to ashes”.
