Pulwama ‘accident’, ‘liar’ barbs in Digvijaya Singh’s attack over IAF strike

Mangalore Today News Network

Srinagar, Mar 05, 2019 : Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday referred to Pulwama terror attack as an “accident” in a series of tweets to target the Narendra Modi government. Singh sought to know from the government if the foreign media reports about the strike by Indian Air Force at a terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot false, Hindustan Times reported.

 

“…some foreign media have raised doubts over the air strike by our air force following Pulwama accident which is putting [a] question mark on the credibility of our Government of India,” Singh wrote on Twitter adding, “Mr Prime Minister, some ministers of your government say that 300 terrorists were killed, BJP president says 250 were killed, Yogi Adityanath (Uttar Pradesh chief minister) says 400 were killed and your minister SS Ahluwalia says no one died. And, you have been silent on this matter. The nation wants to know who is a liar.”

Union minister VK Singh shot back at Digvijaya Singh saying, “With due respect, I would like to ask Digvijaya Singh Ji, was Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination an accident or a terror incident?”

This comes a day after Singh’s party colleague Kapil Sibal tried to corner the Modi government over IAF strike at Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan. Sibal wrote on Twitter, “Modiji: Is international media: 1) New York Times 2) London based Jane’s Information Group 3) Washington Post 4) Daily Telegraph 5) The Guardian 6) Reuters reporting no proof of militant losses at Balakot pro-Pakistan? You are guilty of politicising terror?”

He was referring to some reports in the global media that said Indian jets missed the target. The government and the IAF said a terror camp run by Jaish-e-Mohammed was targeted days on February 26 following intelligence input that the Pakistan-based outfit was planning to carry out attacks in India.

Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed responsibility for terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama on February 14. A CRPF convoy was targeted on the Jammu-Srinagar highway killing 40 soldiers.

Hitting back at Sibal, Union minister Rajyavarshan Singh Rathore posed a counter question to Kapil Sibal. Rathore’s post on Twitter reads, “Kapil Sibal ji: You believe international media over own Intelligence agencies? You seem happy when media quoted by you says “no losses in strike”?...and sir, for us you went to London to find evidence against EVMs, will you please also go to Balakot to check?”

Other leaders including Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, and former Union minister and Congress leader P Chidambaram too aimed at the government amid conflicting reports on IAF strike.

Chidambaram said, “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?”

Separately, news agency ANI on Monday quoting unnamed officials at the National Technical Research Organisation said that its intelligence showed the presence of around 300 active mobile connections at the Jaish-e-Mohammed camp that was targeted by the Indian air strike shortly before the attack itself.