Why is the Indian govt so scared to respond to Pakistan, asks Kejriwal
NEW DELHI: Under fire Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday hit out at the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for criticising his earlier request for proof of the "surgical strike" claimed by India.
Responding to the BJP's complaints, Kejriwal said: “If I asked [the government] to give a befitting response to Pakistan’s false propaganda, why is BJP so scared and rattled?”
“I ask every Indian to watch that video carefully. In my video, putting all our differences aside, I lauded PM Modi, the Indian government and Indian army for conducting 'surgical strikes' on terror launch pads across the LoC”.
Kejriwal also reiterated his earlier stance on the media coverage of the so-called strikes. In his fresh video today he says:
“All the newspapers and televisions including Washington Post, The New York Times, BBC and CNN are rejecting the Indian claim of surgical strikes and in my video I appealed to PM Modi to give a befitting response to Pakistan’s false propaganda”.
Pakistani media reports drew BJP ire
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday had slammed Kejriwal and Congress leader P Chidambaram for asking Modi to show proof of the Indian Army's alleged surgical strikes across the Line of Control.
The move came after the Pakistan media ran video of the Delhi CM in which Kejriwal can be seen critising Pakistani but also asking the Indian government to provide substantial evidence regarding the alleged 'surgical strikes' across the LoC.
While Kejriwal had called on Modi to release proof to counter what he said was "Pakistan's propoganda", several Pakistani channels added a spin to the story and reported that the CM challenged the Indian army's version of events.
While Kejriwal did not directly challenge the BJP government, in his video released on Monday he did spend a significant amount of time saying that the international media seemed to favour Pakistan's statements that there was no strike.
'Don't belittle Indian leadership'
BJP's reaction to the Delhi CM's first video message came after Pakistani media termed the video "anti-India".
BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a press briefing: "I want to ask Arvind Kejriwal whether he believes in the extraordinary valour of our army or not in conducting surgical strikes."
"Under the garb of seeking proof, don't belittle great leadership, courage and sacrifice of our armed forces. Why are you getting influenced by propaganda of Pakistan," Prasad asked Kejriwal, adding that the Delhi CM's comments have become headlines in Pakistani media.
BJP Union Minister Parsad also questioned former Union home minister P Chidambaram, saying why was he [Chidambaram] joining the bandwagon of those who were doubting the capacity of Indian soldiers in conducting surgical strikes.
He asked Congress to come clean on Chidambaram's comments.
On September 28, India made the claim that they carried out surgical strikes on seven terror launch pads across the LoC, inflicting "significant casualties" on terrorists preparing to infiltrate from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistan has accused India of passing off cross-border firing as surgical strikes and has challenged Indian's claim.