Bahujan Samaj Party fired a fresh salvo at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for saying Rafale jets could have given better results for India in hitting a Jaish camp in Pakistan.

She asked why the National Democratic Alliance government headed by Modi had not purchased a single Rafale fighter to induct it into the Indian Air Force during its rule.

“Rafale fighter could have proved useful in the fight against Pakistan, claims PM Modi in his rallies. Even then not a single Rafale was inducted into IAF fleet during his government. Better explain people why this kind of lapse and neglect even by the BJP on the issue of country’s safety and security?” Mayawati said in a tweet.

Last week, after the IAF struck a Jaish-e-Mohammad camp in Balakot, about 80 km from the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Modi had said, “Rafale fighters could have delivered even better results”.

His reference was apparently to the stealth of Rafale, an air-dominance aircraft.

The IAF had deployed a dozen Mirage-2000 aircraft to hit the target.

A Jaish terrorist camp was destroyed and up to 350 terrorists were killed in the air strike on February 26, officials sources have said.

On Sunday, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah had said that “more than 250 terrorists” were killed.

Modi had also said the Rafale jet deal was not finalised by the previous government “for vested interests and now an effort is on to hamper it for political reasons.”

The first of the 36 Rafale fighters purchased from France is expected to arrive in India by September this year.