Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and Union Minister of State Surendrajeet Singh Ahluwalia has admitted that the Indian Air Force’s “airstrikes” inside Pakistan to destroy alleged terrorist camps “did not cause much damage.”
Exposing the lies perpetrated by the war-mongering Indian media, the politician said, “I have read in the national as well as in the international media. I have also heard PM Modi in his first speech in Churu after the airstrike. He had not said that 300 were killed.
“Has any spokesperson of BJP or party president Amit Shah claimed that?” S.S. Ahluwalia asked.
New Delhi’s claim of 300 casualties in the so-called air strikes in Balakot, Pakistan has been questioned not only worldwide but even by political leaders and analysts within India.
Indian newspaper ‘Indian Express’ recently debunked the claim by quoting top Indian government sources who said the assessment of casualties was "purely speculative". It further said that India lacked ground intelligence, while there were limitations of technical intelligence as well.
Tensions between India and Pakistan are at an all-time high following Indian incursions into Pakistani airspace and subsequent downing of two Indian aircraft by Pakistan Air Force.
Indian warplanes intruded into Pakistani airspace in the dark of night on February 26, however, they turned back soon after Pakistan Air Force scrambled its fighter jets.
In order to make their escape, fleeing Indian jets dropped their payload in a hilly forested area near the northern Pakistani town of Balakot, about 40 km (25 miles) from the Line of Control (LoC).
The Indian government was quick to take credit for a “successful attack" and put the death toll to over 300. Pakistani officials, as well as the locals, rejected the claims, inviting local and international media to visit the site of the so-called attack where around a dozen trees were the only “casualty”.
