Oppn joins BJP in hailing strike, lauds Air Force

NEW DELHI: Opposition parties joined the government in praising the strike carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on a Jaishe-mohammed (JEM) terror camp in Pakistan early on Tuesday, but raised questions over the ground situation in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah said the aerial strike on the camp in Pakistan’s Balakot underlined that India was safe and secure under the “strong and decisive leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi”.

With the air strike coming as a surprise, opposition parties will hold their scheduled strategy meeting on Wednesday but only to discuss the situation in the wake of Tuesday’s IAF offensive. To thwart any attempt by the ruling BJP to gain political mileage out of the air strike, the Congress and other opposition parties, offered full credit to IAF and the armed forces.

Addressing a rally in Assam, Congress president Rahul Gandhi began his speech by hailing the IAF, but soon attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his government and the BJP over the issues such as farmers’ distress, unemployment and corruption— indicating the Opposition’s plan to build a political narrative around these issues ahead of the general election. Earlier on Tuesday morning, Gandhi tweeted, “I salute the pilots of the IAF.”

At the government’s closeddoor briefing for political parties, several political leaders expressed concern over the Kashmir situation and raised pointed questions on the aerial strike even as they praised the IAF for the successful operation.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah reminded the gathering that PM Modi had said the government was fighting against terror and not Kashmiris. Abdullah cautioned that government that if elections were not held in time in J&K, separatists and terrorists would see it as a victory for themselves.

Home minister Rajnath Singh replied that the government had told the Election Commission that it is ready to hold Lok Sabha and assembly elections simultaneously in J&K, but it has to be done in phases.

Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Sitaram Yechury asked why the government didn’t provide maps and other details of the operations as it did after the surgical strikes on terrorist camps in 2016. Finance minister Arun Jaitley said due to the secret nature of the operation, such details had not been provided to political parties.

Soon after the air strike, several Opposition leaders tweeted in support of the air force.

West Bengal chief minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee tweeted, “IAF also means India’s Amazing Fighters. Jai Hind.” Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati said had the Modi government given a free hand to the armed forces earlier, terrorist attacks like the ones in Pulwama, Pathankot and Uri could have been avoided.

Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “I salute the bravery of Indian Air Force pilots who have made us proud by striking terror targets in Pakistan.”