Indians question their own military

NEW DELHI: Questions are being raised with even more intensity in India from the opposition parties and intelligentsia about the claims of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) if the Indian Air Force (IAF) really carried out what they have been calling surgical strikes against alleged terrorist camps in Balakot or was it just an election gimmick.

The Indian opposition is also furious over terming those questioning the veracity of government’s claims as traitors.

Indian Air Chief Marshal BS Dhanoa has also exposed the false claims of Indian media and government officials regarding the number of deaths in the February 26 Balakot airstrike. The Indian media and government officials had claimed that 300 alleged terrorists were killed in the so-called airstrikes in Balakot. However, when the Indian air chief marshal was asked to give a figure regarding the number of alleged terrorists killed in the February 26 airstrike, he said, the IAF "can't count how many people died".

"We can’t count how many people have died. It depends on how many people were there," Dhanoa said while addressing a press conference. "[Indian] Air Force is not in a position to clarify how many people were inside. We don't count human casualties. We count what targets we have hit or not hit," he said.

New Delhi’s claim of 300 casualties in the so-called air strikes in Balakot has been questioned not only worldwide but even by political leaders and analysts within India. Indian Punjab minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu joining the chorus of opposition sought evidence from the BJP if the IAF really carried out strikes in Balakot or was it just an election gimmick.

Sidhu asked Narendra Modi’s government if the airstrike in Balakot was meant to kill terrorists or trees. Sidhu warned Modi not to drag the armed forces in his politics as it can turn out to be dangerous for the country.

Another Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that when the international media slams Pakistan then India gets happy but when it stated that there was not even a single casualty in the airstrike then there comes no response.

“Modi is doing politics over the issue of terrorism,” he said. Listing a number of international media organisations such as New York Times, London-based Jane's Information Group, Washington Post, Daily Telegraph, The Guardian and Reuters, Sibal asked Modi if they are all "pro-Pakistan" as they are "reporting no proof of militant losses".

Uttar Pradesh former chief minister Mayawati said that Narendra Modi has been trying to hide his failure. Another Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that media around the world has been reporting that no deaths occurred in the airstrikes carried out by IAF.

A report published in UK disclosed that about 64 percent of the people in India have been listening to a flurry of fake news and misinformation. Meanwhile, National Conference (NC) chief Farooq Abdullah said Pakistan and India should start a "result-oriented" and "time-bound" dialogue for the "greater good" of both the nations, especially the welfare of Jammu and Kashmir.

Farooq Abdullah said National Conference founder and his father Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah was of the opinion that greater Pak-India interaction would benefit the people of Kashmir the most.

"Our party still deems Pak-India friendship essential to a peaceful Sub-Continent. I impress upon the sane voices in both the countries to push their respective governments to initiate a result oriented dialogue process for the greater good of the two nations," he said.

People's Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti has also demanded evidence of Balakot strike. "As citizens of this country, we have every right to question the credibility of the Balakot operation. Especially due to GoI's ambiguity about the details. How does it help the enemies? Only puts GoI in a tight spot since they want to exploit this to reap electoral benefits," said former IHK CM Mehbooba Mufti.

She said that calling those who "question the veracity of Balakot strikes anti-national is baffling", and accused the government of distracting from bigger issues like demonetisation, unemployment and farmers distress.

Earlier, Modi on took on those in opposition who raised doubts over the IAF strike in Balakot, stating that they should not question the valour of India’s armed forces. He continued his aggressive posture by saying that it was his government’s principle to ‘enter the enemies’ territory and hit them’.

Speaking at a rally in Ahmedabad, Modi said, “It is our principle to hit enemies inside their territory..... I don't like to wait for long). No country can live in such helplessness.” He added that he tends to follow the advice of armed forces on issues of national security.

The Indian PM further said that the ‘terrorists’ would be hunted down by the Indian forces even if they were to hide deep underneath the earth. He said, it is his nature to give a befitting reply...even if they are hidden deep under the Earth, “I will pull them out and eliminate them," he boasted.

Slamming the political critics, Modi said that the statements made by the opposition raising questions about the action taken by the IAF made headlines in Pakistan and were appreciated in Pakistan's Parliament. "Is this the way you are serving the national interest?..You may question me on my policies. You may not trust me but at least trust the armed forces. Don't raise questions over their valour,” he said.

Modi also addressed the criticism by opposition parties which have questioned the timing of the air strikes, which have taken place just a few months ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Modi noted that no elections were due in 2016 when the Indian armed forces carried out a “surgical strike” following the Uri attack.