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Sam Pitroda , Chairman of the Overseas Indian National Congress ha found himself in the line of fire. He has reportedly in an interview to news agency ANI, questioned the death toll in the Balakot airstrike conducted by the Indian Air Force in Pakistan in retaliation to the Pulwama terror attack.
“If they (IAF) killed 300, its ok. All I am saying is can you give me more facts and prove it,” said Pitroda.
When asked on his views on the airstrike against the Jaish-e-Mohammad camp in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, he added that international news outlets had an alternate view of the impact of the air strike and that the people of India deserved to know the facts of the Air Force operation.
“I would like to know a little more because I read reports in the New York Times and other newspapers. Did we really attack? We really killed 300 people? I don’t know that. As a citizen, I am entitled to know and if I ask it is my duty to ask, that doesn’t mean I’m not a nationalist, That doesn’t mean I am on this side or that side. We need to know the facts. If you say 300 people were killed, I need to know that. We all need to know that, people of India need to know that and then comes global media which says nobody was killed. I look bad as an Indian citizen,” said Pitroda.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted to Pitroda’s comments in a prompt tweet
Opposition insults our forces time and again.
I appeal to my fellow Indians- 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. #JantaMaafNahiKaregi https://t.co/rwpFKMMeHY
— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 22, 2019
