BJP leaders criticised Mamata Banerjee for "doubting the success of Air Force's strikes.
BJP National General secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today for "doubting" success of the Indian Air Force strike targeting Jaish-e-Mohammed's terror training camp in Pakistan's Balakot. "It is a matter of shame that just for the sake of politics; a chief minister doubts our armed forces. The entire nation stands by them. We condemn such statements," he said in Kolkata.
Targeting Ms Banerjee, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said it is "condemnable" that an Indian politician, and not a Pakistani, is demanding evidence of success of the air strike. "Had a Pakistani politician asked such a question, we would have understood it. But it is shameful and condemnable that a politician from India, that too a chief minister, has been raising such questions," Mr Ghosh said.
Yesterday, Ms Banerjee had said the nation has a right to know what actually happened after the IAF's strike since foreign media reported that not much damage had been done. "We have the right to know. The people want to know how many were killed. Where was the bomb actually dropped? Was it dropped on the target?" she had asked.
Mr Vijayvargiya also claimed that the return of IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman from Pakistan was Prime Minister Narendra Modi's diplomatic victory. "For the last two days Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been trying to talk to our prime minister but they said they have to release our pilot first," he said.
Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured on Wednesday after India and Pakistan's engaged in an air battle following Pakistan's attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes.