Retired Army chief and Minister of State for External Affairs General VK Singh today endorsed the statement of BJP national president Amit Shah on number of casualties in the air strikes carried out by Indian Air Force (IAF) on the terror camps at Balakot in Pakistan after the Pulwama terror attacks. Singh who was in State capital for participating in the ‘Desh Ki Maan Ki Baat, Modi ji Ke Saath’ said, “Based on intelligence network and other logistical inputs, the government has information that maximum damages were made through air strikes at terror camps.”
He further said that the estimated figure of casualties was only at one place (Balakot), nowhere else. The target was selected carefully away from residential areas to avoid civilian casualty, he added. BJP national president on Sunday while participating at an event in Ahmedabad had said that Indian Air Force (IAF) air strikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in Pakistan Balakot last Tuesday ‘killed more than 250 terrorist’. The statement of Shah gave a weapon in the hands of opposition to question, how BJP national president has exact number of casualties, when there is no official figure on number of casualties either from government side or from Air Force.
On varying casualty figures, the Minister said, “One way of finding out exact number of death is go there count and return back, which is not possible in current situation. The second way is whatever information you have you assess it (figure) through intelligence networks and the number is told to the people.” Singh, who is BJP MP from Ghaziabad in Western UP, said that counting exact number of casualties is not the game of marbles.
This is a serious matter. Any action by forces no proof is given, as earlier too in three wars the country had faced no proof was given by armed forces. He also said that if time comes the government will provide evidence and proof of the air strike and casualties too.
The statement of Singh assume importance as days after the terror attack Opposition leaders have raised questions on casualties (death of terrorists) after the air strikes. A battery of Congress leaders from Kapil Sibal to Digvijay Singh have aired their views in media raising questions on air strikes.
The minister also lambasted senior Congressman Digvijay Singh for his statement that Pulwama terror attack was an (Durghatna) accident and not incident.
The former army man said, “If the Pulwama attack is not a terror attack but an accident (Durghatna) then Digvijay Singh should also reply that the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was an accident (Durghatna) and not a terrorist attack.” Recently, Digvijay Singh the senior Congress man from Madhya Pradesh had stated that Pulwama attack was an accident inviting wrath across the country.