Centre taking credit for Air Force strikes in Pakistan is politicisation, says P Chidambaram

Attacking the Narendra Modi government for taking credit for the Air Force strike on the biggest training camp of Jaish-e-Mohammad in Balakote, Former Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said the Indian Air Force (IAF) doesn't belong to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "IAF belongs to the country," P Chidambaram while speaking at India Today Conclave 2019.

When asked if Prime Minister Modi's decision giving the Army a free hand in wake of the Pulwama attack was right, senior Congress leader said only time will tell if it was the right decision.

On February 26, the Indian Air Force dropped bombs on Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camps across the Line of Control (LoC) in Balakote in retaliation for the Pulwama terror attack that claimed the life of 40 CRPF jawans.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Congress-led opposition parties expressed 'deep anguish' over the 'blatant politicisation of sacrifices' made by the Indian military as it slammed the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party over the developments of the last few days.

"National security must transcend narrow political considerations," the Opposition had said in a resolution passed at a meeting which was attended by twenty-one opposition parties. The resolution also lauded the Indian Air Force's airstrike on a Jaish-e-Mohammad camp across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan.

When asked whether Army action is a better option than talks with beleaguered neighbour, Chidambaram said that only central government can answer this as they had full information on that.

The former Finance Minister also claimed that all the economical data, including the growth figures, that the NDA government project does not add up with the reality of the situation.

He also added that job growth during the UPA regime was not as much of an issue then as it is now and therefore comparing job growth during the UPA's time as compared to the NDA cannot be put on the same measuring scale.

Also Read: India Today Conclave 2019 LIVE: No indications of de-escalation of tensions at border, says Former Air chief Fali Homi Major

Edited by Chitranjan Kumar