Speaking at an event in Greater Noida on Saturday, 9 March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi once again raked up the issue of air strikes carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) across the Line of Control (LoC) on 26 February and asked if the people should doubt the IAF.
Modi further said that while Pakistan had said that India had conducted air strikes, some people in India were more concerned about the location. Referring to them as “tukde-tukde” gang, Modi said that Indians should be able to identify these people.
He further asked if the country can believe the people who are casting a shadow of doubt on the IAF.
Modi was seemingly hitting out at the Opposition parties who have been asking for evidence to support that an air strike was carried out and that the IAF was successful in eliminating a large number of terrorists in Balakot.
Though no official confirmation on the number of human casualties has been made, the Ministry of External Affairs in its press briefing on 26 February had said that a “large number of terrorists were eliminated”.
However, Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa had confirmed that IAF had conducted “successful raids” across the LoC.
Modi also hit out at the Congress-led UPA government and said that that links of attacks were connected to Pakistan earlier too but the government didn’t do anything.
Alluding to the 26/11 attacks, when then Home Minister Shivraj Patil resigned after four days taking responsibility for the security lapse, Modi said should the government have changed the home minister or changed the policy?
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