New Delhi: The Congress was on defensive in the wake of fierce attack by Prime Minister Modi and BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and Ravi Shankar Prasad on remarks of Rahul Gandhi’s close confidant Sam Pitroda on the Pulwama terror attack and Balakot air strikes despite his caveat that it were his personal views and not of the party’s. “Modiji & BJP should stop using an individual’s personal opinion to spread venom,” Congress chief spokesman Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted.
Pitroda had questioned the death toll in the air strikes on Pakistan by the Indian Air Force and, as a Gandhian, also advocated a dialogue with Pakistan instead of the government’s stand of no talks until Pakistan stops sponsoring terrorism in India.
Jaitley and Prasad dubbed Pitroda’s remarks on the air strikes as “very unfortunate” and an insult to the Indian forces as even the Islamic countries did not question it. They were speaking at a press conference at the party headquarters to welcome cricketer Gautam Gambhir into the party’s fold as a probable candidate from prestigious New Delhi constituency in the Lok Sabha elections.
“He believes what we did was wrong. No country in the world said this, not even the OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation). Only Pakistan was of this view. Unfortunate such people are ideologues of a political party,” Jaitley said adding “Agar Guru aisa ho to shishya kitna nikamma niklega ye desh ko aaj bhugatna pad raha hai.” His reference was to Rahul treating Pitroda as his guide.
If Pitroda is Rahul’s Guru, Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav, uncle and Guru of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, came under direct attack of PM Modi on his remark that the Jawans were massacred for votes, sent them on ordinary buses, no checking on the highways, a clearcut conspiracy.
Modi tweeted: “Opposition is the natural habitat of terror apologists and questioners of our armed forces…. This reprehensible statement by a senior leader like Ram Gopal Ji insults all those who have given their lives in protecting Kashmir. It humiliates the families of our martyrs.”
On Pitroda, he tweeted: “The most trusted advisor and guide of the Congress President has kick-started the Pakistan National Day celebrations on behalf of the Congress, ironically by demeaning India’s armed forces. Shame!” In another tweet, Modi said: “I appeal to my fellow Indians to question Opposition leaders on their statements. “Tell them 130 crore Indians will not forgive or forget the Opposition for their antics. India stands firmly with our forces.”
Pitroda, who is overseas wing head of the Congress and part of the party’s manifesto committee for 2019 Lok Sabha elections, said he was asking about the Balakot casualties because contrary reports in the foreign media, stressing that “it doesn’t mean I am not a nationalist or taking this or that side.”
On insisting on dialogue with Pakistan despite Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF jawans, he said naive to assume that if some people came here and attacked, every citizen of that nation is to be blamed. After 26/11 attack on Mumbai, he said: “We could have reacted then and sent our planes but that is not the right approach, that is not how you deal with the world…. You don’t jump on the entire nation because eight people come and do something.”
