Union minister VK Singh took a dig at the opposition leaders with a tweet about “too many mosquitoes” amid ongoing Balakot strike row. In a veiled reference to the pre-dawn operation by the Indian Air Force against a terror camp in Pakistan, Singh appeared to draw a parallel between terrorists killed in the strike and “mosquitoes” in a room.
“There were too many mosquitoes at 3.30 in the night. So, I used HIT (a mosquito repellent brand). Now should I count how many mosquitoes were killed or sleep peacefully,” VK Singh wrote on Twitter in Hindi.
This comes when the opposition has been nudging the government citing BJP leaders making claims about the number of terrorists killed in the IAF strike. The opposition leaders have contrasted the claims made by BJP leaders with the reports in international media that claimed not much damage to the terror camp at Balakot.
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The IAF carried out a strike at a terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot on February 26. The IAF called the operation “pre-emptive” in nature which was carried out on the basis of intelligence input that it was a training centre run by Jaish-e-Mohammed. The Pakistan-based terror outfit had claimed responsibility for Pulwama attack killing 40 CRPF jawans on February 14. The IAF said intelligence inputs suggested that the Jaish was planning more attacks from Balakot terror camp.
{{/usCountry}}The IAF carried out a strike at a terror camp in Pakistan’s Balakot on February 26. The IAF called the operation “pre-emptive” in nature which was carried out on the basis of intelligence input that it was a training centre run by Jaish-e-Mohammed. The Pakistan-based terror outfit had claimed responsibility for Pulwama attack killing 40 CRPF jawans on February 14. The IAF said intelligence inputs suggested that the Jaish was planning more attacks from Balakot terror camp.
{{/usCountry}}In the days after the IAF strike, BJP leaders including party president Amit Shah have given “estimated” casualty figures in the air force operation. Amit Shah said in a public rally that around 250 terrorists were killed in the IAF strike at Balakot.
On Monday, the IAF refused to speculate on the number of terrorists killed in the Balakot strike saying that it was for the government to give out casualty details. On Tuesday, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, too, declined to get into the number business.
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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, however, referred to “300 mobile phones” active in the Jaish camp hit by the IAF. Singh said the National Technical Research Organisation ( NTRO) has stated there were 300 mobile phones active prior to the strike.
“Were these phones being used by trees in that area,” asked Singh stating that those who want to know the number of terrorists killed in the IAF strike “should go to Pakistan and count”.