Modi's minister says opposition strengthening Pak stance by distrusting govt, military

NEW DELHI: Hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's comments, BJP took a swipe at the opposition parties over questioning govt's claims of dawning F-16 aircraft and Balakot strike, saying that they were strengthening stance of the neighbouring country   by "distrusting" the government and the armed forces.

Indian Railway Minister Piyush Goyal was reported to have said it was deplorable that the opposition was trying to strengthen the argument of the neighbouring country with its attitude.

"When you have people like Sam Pitroda and Farooq Abdullah and other Congress leaders, distrusting their own government and their own armed forces, obviously you are going to strengthen the hand of the  outpouring country," the BJP leader said at a press conference when asked about Mr Khan's remarks.

Goyal was quoted as saying: "Here the Prime Minister Modi sends the air force to cross the line of control, get into Pakistan, attack armed men at its roots in Balakot, and on the other hand, the opposition is trying to strengthen the arguments of the neighbouring country."

He said, "It is a completely deplorable attitude of the opposition parties."

Recently, Imran Khan took a jibe at the BJP of "whipping up war hysteria" and making a "false claim" of downing an F-16 aircraft.

 PM Imran Khan  tweeted: ""The truth always prevails and is always the best policy," adding that Bharatiya Janata Party's attempt to win elections through whipping up war hysteria and false claims of downing a Pak F 16 has backfired with US Defence officials also confirming that no F16 was missing from Pakistan's fleet.

On the other hand, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah Saturday accused the PM Modi-led government of "lying" to the nation on the Balakot air strike and shooting down of a Pakistani F-16 in the aerial dogfight between the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the Pakistan Air Force (PAF).

Mr Abdullah added: "He (Modi) said we shot down their (Pakistani) 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?" 

on Thursday, Washington-based Foreign Policy magazine reported that American defence officials had recently counted the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16s and found none of the planes missing.

It had quoted two senior US defence officials with direct knowledge of the situation.