Barbs fly over efficacy of aerial bombing
NEW DELHI: Claims and counterclaims by the government and the Opposition sent political temperatures soaring on Monday as the Congress party asked why the government was not providing details of the casualties inflicted in the air strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Pakistan last week, while the government accused the Congress party of echoing Pakistan’s line. PM Narendra Modi implicitly warned Pakistan about supporting terror groups that target India.
All of this came even as IAF chief BS Dhanoa steered clear of a question on the number of casualties, the core of the controversy. Following the air strike on February 26, Indian intelligence officials mentioned numbers in the range of 300 to 350 to media (including HT). The numbers weren’t official estimates and the officials were not on record.
Since then, questions have swirled about the actual number amid efforts by Pakistan to downplay the impact of the Indian air strike. On Sunday, BJP president Amit Shah said that 250 terrorists were killed in the air strike.
The government has, however, not released any evidence of the casualties as demanded by the Opposition. Hours before Dhanoa’s comments, Congress leader P Chidambaram, said on Twitter: “IAF Vice Air Marshal declined to comment on casualties. The MEA statement said there were no civilian or military casualties. So, who put out the number of casualties at 300-350?” Chidambaram added: “As a proud citizen, I am prepared to believe my government. But if we want the world to believe, the government must make the effort, not indulge in opposition bashing .”
The BJP shot back through Union minister Piyush Goyal. “This shows Congress party believes in Pakistan propaganda and not in our own armed forces and what our army, navy and air force said. It is thoroughly condemnable and I am ashamed that we have such leaders like P Chidambaram in the wonderful state of Tamil Nadu,” Goyal said in Tuticorin.
Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal, too, sought proof of the strikes and accused the Prime Minister of politicising terror. “Modiji must answer as the international media like New York Times, Washington Post, London-based Jane Information group, Daily Telegraph, the Guardian and Reuters, are reporting that there is no proof of militant losses at Balakot in Pakistan,” he said on Twitter, referring to some reports in the global media that said Indian jets missed the target.
The Opposition also stressed that Modi should apologise to the country for “questioning the capability” of IAF in the absence of the Rafale fighter jet, a charge that triggered a sharp response from the PM himself.
“The PM tried to show that the IAF was weaker because it did not have the Rafale. He should apologise for questioning the capabilities of IAF and for playing politics with the armed forces,” Congress spokesperson RPN Singh said at a press conference.
Modi slammed the Opposition for questioning his statement that the presence of Rafale fighters would have given greater firepower to IAF during an aerial engagement with Pakistan on February 27, when it launched a counter-attack in response to the Indian raid across the Line of Control.
“I said if Rafale was acquired in time it would have made a difference [during the February 27 dogfight], but they say Modi is questioning our air force strike,” he said in Jamnagar. “Please use common sen
We don’t count casualties, our job is to hit the target: IAF chief
NEW DELHI: It’s not the job of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to count how many people died in the bombardment of a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camp in Pakistan last week, IAF chief BS Dhanoa said on Monday, stressing that the Indian fighter jets did hit the target they went after in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
It is for the government to provide details on the terrorists killed, and the air force only sees if a target has been hit or not, Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa said in Coimbatore, steering clear of a growing political slugfest on the number of casualties in the Indian offensive across the Line of Control (LoC) triggered by the JeM suicide bombing of a Central Reserve of Police Force convoy in Jammu and Kashmiron February 14 that killed 40 personnel. He refused to comment further on the operations “because they are still ongoing.”
“IAF is not in a position to give casualty figures. We don’t count human casualties. The bomb damage assessment done after the strikes doesn’t count casualties but how many bombs hit the target,” Dhanoa said, in his first comments on the incident.
He was in Coimbatore for the presentation of President’s Colours to the 5 Base Repair Depot.
TRADING CHARGES
Modi ji must answer as the international media… are reporting that there is no proof of militant losses [during the IAF strike] at Balakot in Pakistan
KAPIL SIBAL, Congress leader
As a proud citizen, I am prepared to believe my government. But if we want the world to believe, the govt must make the effort, not indulge in Opposition-bashing
P CHIDAMBARAM, Congress leader
Indian politicians’ rhetoric makes headlines in Pakistan’s newspapers and is discussed by the parliament there. Will you say things that are applauded by Pakistan? India’s army showed courage. I can’t wait for long; it is in my nature to respond to every threat
NARENDRA MODI, Prime Minister