Ex-IOK CM flays Modi govt for lying to Indians on Balakot airstrike, F-16

Farooq Abdullah says there is no clarity on government's claims of killing 300 terrorists in Balakot strike

Former chief minister of occupied Kashmir and National Conference president, Farooq Abdullah hit out at the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for lying to the Indian public on the Balakot airstrike and claims of shooting down a Pakistani F-16.

Abdullah, who will be contesting the Indian elections from the Srinagar constituency, said the BJP government carried out the aerial strike because PM Modi had failed in delivering the promises made during the last general elections, Deccan Herald reported.

"He [Modi] had promised that Rs1.5 million will be put in your accounts, did you get Rs15 lakh? When he failed in all these things, his head was hanging whenever I used to see him in Parliament during the last few days as he realised that his power is gone.

"At that time, some MPs would say that he would do something ... attack Pakistan so that everyone feels that Hanuman ji has come. What did he do? For a few seconds, he sent three planes to the border which is known as Balakot and dropped bombs there," Abdullah said while addressing an election rally in the Fakir Gujri area on Friday.



The former IOK CM said there was no clarity on the BJP-led government's claims of killing terrorists in Pakistan.

"Some people said 500 were killed and some others even said 700 were killed. Here if one person is killed, the whole world comes to know. Would no one know if 300 were killed?" he questioned.

On the news in the Western media that the US count insists no F-16 jet was shot down by IAF's MiG-21 Bison, Abdullah questioned the prime minister why he was lying to Indian public.

"He [Modi] said we shot down their fighter plane F-16. Now, the US has come up saying all the Pakistani F-16s are counted. Not one has been shot down. There must be some basis for even lies, Modi ji. How long will you lie to people. And did you win [the battle]? Has Pakistan disappeared? Why are you lying? Do you think the Hindus will buy into all this?" he said.

Abdullah stated whichever party comes to power "they will definitely talk to Pakistan and Jammu & Kashmir will be the first priority".

"We can't bear living like this ... that deaths take place every day," he said.

This article originally appeared in Deccan Herald