Farooq accuses govt of carrying out Balakot air strike to win polls
SRINAGAR: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah Monday made serious allegations against the Bjp-led Centre, saying it ordered the air strike in Pakistan’s Balakot with the “sole purpose” of winning Lok Sabha elections.
The Srinagar MP alleged the BJP has “failed” on all fronts and it was apprehended that there would be a fight or skirmish with Pakistan before the polls so that Prime Minister Narendra Modi becomes some kind of an “avatar” without whom India cannot survive.
“This surgical strike (air strike) was done only for the purpose of election...totally for the election. We lost an aircraft worth crores of rupees. Be thankful that the IAF pilot (Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman) survived and returned from Pakistan with respect,” Abdullah told reporters here.
In a predawn exercise on February 26, the Indian Air Force pounded Jaish-e-mohammed’s biggest training camp in Balakot. The air strike came i n response to a terrorist attack in Pulwama on February 14, in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.
Abdullah said Monday, “In the Parliament, we knew they have failed on all other things and that there would be a fight or a skirmish with Pakistan in Kashmir so that he (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) becomes some kind of an ‘avatar’ without whom India cannot survive. But I want to tell him that whether he or I live or not, India will live and move forward.”
The NC president said an atmosphere of fear was being created to help the BJP in the polls.
“They want t o c r eate an atmosphere of fear. There would be no war. The whole world is watching.
“This atmosphere of fear that they have created in the country that without him anything will happen, I want to tell him that you were neither a God and never will be,” he said.
Abdullah said there is no other way than to talk to Pakistan over the Kashmir issue.
“They ( New Delhi) have brought this (Kashmir) into international limelight. Several countries are now involved in making India and Pakistan to talk over Kashmir and they will have to engage themselves as it is the only way forward,” he said.
Asked about the Election Commission of India’s decision to delay the assembly polls in the state, Abdullah said he feared some “mischief” by the Centre in J&K. “I think they must have thought of doing some mischief, that’s why they delayed the polls. I do not understand that when thousands of people took part in the panchayat and municipal polls, what danger they think there is now when forces are present in larger number than they were...” he said.
He said if the EC is saying that the environment is conducive for Lok Sabha polls, then why is it not conducive for the state polls.