Sam Pitroda, a close confidante of Rahul Gandhi and Chairman of the Overseas Indian National Congress, has questioned the death toll in the Balakot airstrike conducted by the Indian Air Force in Pakistan, in response to the Pulwama terror attack. Pitroda sought proof from the government over its claim of killing at least 300 terrorists.
Pitroda was immediately slammed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said the "most trusted advisor of Congress President has kick-started the Pakistan National Day celebrations on behalf of the Congress, ironically by demeaning India’s armed forces. Shame!".
Furthermore, the prime minister accused the Opposition of insulting the forces time and again. He also urged people to question Opposition leaders on their statements.
"If they killed 300, its ok. All I am saying is can you give me more facts and prove it," Pitroda said in an interview to ANI.
On question over airstrike against the Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said 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 am not a nationalist, that doesn't mean I am on this side or that side," Pitroda said.
"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 them comes global media which says nobody was killed. I look bad as an Indian citizen," he added.
Pitroda was asked if he questioned the Indian Air Force's version of the Balakot air strikes, to which he said: "An attack is different from making a claim of 300 dead. We cannot be emotioal. Data has to be neutral. So you come in today and say I killed 300 people and I say wait a minute, the world is saying we didn't kill anybody or kill less or kill more...I don't know."
Pitroda, who is part of the Congress' manifesto committee for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and is considered a senior ideologue of the party, sought a dialogue with Pakistan.
"I am a Gandhian, I believe in more compassion and respect. I believe in more dialogues personally. I think we should have a dialogue with everybody. Why just Pakistan? We are having dialogue with the whole world," Pitroda told ANI.
Later, in an interview to India TV, Pitroda refused to back down from his remarks and said he would continue to ask tough questions.
"Our security forces are not weak enough that their morale will be effected by questions being asked on this matter. Our forces are strong, well equipped and well respected," Pitroda said.
"Government said that 300 terrorists were killed so i am asking the government to give me more data. I am a man who is trained to read facts and data. I will continue to ask tough questions," he added.
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