Rahul Gandhi also took a swipe at the Prime Minister's "non-political interview" with actor Akshay Kumar.
Highlights
- "Whenever it rains, do all aircraft disappear from radar": Rahul Gandhi
- Mr Gandhi's jibe was aimed at PM Modi's comment on the Balakot strike
- He had said clouds would help IAF planes escape Pakistani radar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's suggestion that clouds helped Indian fighter planes escape the Pakistani radars during the Balakot strikes drew a dig today from Rahul Gandhi, who added this to a long list of jibes at a rally in Madhya Pradesh to campaign for the last round of the national election.
"Modi ji, whenever it rains in India, do all aircraft disappear from the radar," the Congress president sneered at his election rally in Neemuch.
Rahul Gandhi also took a swipe at the Prime Minister's "non-political interview" with actor Akshay Kumar, in which he revealed that he loved mangoes as a child and still loves them. "Modi ji, you taught (us) how to eat mangoes; now tell the country what you did for jobless youth," he said.
In an interview to the television channel News Nation on Saturday, PM Modi had shared his account of how the Balakot airstrikes, carried out days after the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 soldiers were killed, were planned.
"The weather turned bad. There was a doubt about whether we can go in the clouds. During a review (of the Balakot plan), by and large the opinion of experts was -what if we change the date. I had two issues in mind. One was secrecy...second, I said I am not someone who knows the science. I said there is so much cloud and rain. There is a benefit. I have a raw wisdom, the clouds can benefit us too. We can escape the radar. Everyone was confused. Ultimately I said there are clouds...let's proceed. Chal Pade," PM Modi said in the interview.
In the early hours of February 26, Indian Air Force jets crossed over to Pakistani territory to target a Jaish e Mohammad terror training facility in Balakot. The Jaish had claimed responsibility for the Pulwama terror attack.
The PM's comments have generated criticism as well as ridicule on social media. Left leader Sitaram Yechury has complained to the Election Commission that the Prime Minister has violated the code of conduct by "revealing operational details of a sensitive military operation.''
Questions have also been raised over the political leadership overruling experts on such a critical and sensitive operation.