Cong, AAP slam BJP for ‘milking’ air strikes for politics

New Delhi: Questioning BJP President Amit Shah’s claims on the February 26 air strikes in Pakistan, the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party here on Monday slammed him and his party for not trusting the armed forces and “milking the air strikes for politics”.

Responding to Shah’s claim on Sunday that more than 250 terrorists were killed in the air strikes, the two parties said the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) claims were not in line with the Air Force statement in this regard.

Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari tweeted, “AVM RGK Kapoor said, ‘it would be premature to say what is the number of casualties that we have been able to inflict on those camps and what is the number of deaths.’ But Amit Shah says over 250 terrorists killed in air strikes. Is this not milking the air strikes for politics?”

Congress leader Sanjay Jha accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of playing “repugnant politics”.

“Three hundred terrorists killed says BJP! Amit Shah suddenly reduces that to 250. SS Ahluwalia says none. Officials say, no estimate. Why is Modi once again playing repugnant politics with India’s defence forces? Why? The opposition is deeply disturbed by this obfuscation,” Jha tweeted.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal also questioned Shah’s claim. “The (Air) Force cannot lie. The BJP is lying. The whole country is with the (Air) Force, only the BJP is against them,” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi.

“Is the (Air) Force lying as per Amit Shah? The (Air) Force has clearly said it isn’t sure if anyone died or not (in the air strikes). Are the BJP and Shah calling the (Air) Force a liar for their electoral benefit? The nation believes in the Forces. Don’t Shah and the BJP trust them?” he stated in another tweet.

[source_without_link]IANS[/source_without_link]