Sharad Pawar claims he was misquoted on surgical strike

Mumbai: A day after claiming that he advised the Union government to carry out air strikes, National Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Monday said that his comments were distorted. He clarified that all parties had supported the Centre’s decision and he was one of them.

“The media has misrepresented my statements. In a meeting at the central level after the Pulwama attack, all parties had unanimously decided that we would back the Indian Army. However, my statement were misconstrued by media,” said Mr Pawar.

“We are proud of our Indian Army and its capability. It has been proved in the Indo-Pak war of 1965 and 1971 and later in Kargil. So we should not question the army on the number of terrorists died in the Balakot attack,” he added.

According to the local media reports, the NCP chief had on Sunday said that after Pulwama attack, under the leadership of Union home minister Rajnath Singh, a meeting was chaired in Delhi, where Mr Pawar advised the government to destroy terror camps in Balakot.

“Being a former defence minister, the first question was asked to me, I have suggested him to give an order to Indian for-ces to kill terrorists and destroy the terrorist’s camps,” Mr Pawar had said, as per the reports.