Congress: While “boasting” on air strikes, PM Modi “disrespected war strategy”

The Congress on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks that cloud cover could help IAF planes evade Pakistani radars during the Balakot strikes, saying that while "boasting" he "disrespected war strategy" and committed an "unforgivable crime".

In an interview to a private news channel aired on Saturday, Modi said he relied on his "raw wisdom" to dispel doubts of defence experts who wanted the air strikes to be deferred due to inclement weather.

Taking a swipe at Modi, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted, "In 70 years no PM has made fun of military might, but Modi ji kept his raw wisdom above military's professionalism." "He is so busy garnering votes in the name of military that he ended up insulting the forces. While boasting, Modi ji disrespected war strategy and committed an unforgivable crime," he said.

The CPI(M) has also moved the Election Commission, alleging that Modi had revealed "operational details of a sensitive military mission" in the interview with the purpose to influence voters.

Rejecting the charge, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar had said, "PM Modi did not reveal anything (about the Balakot strike) he was not supposed to reveal." "Prime Minister is proudly saying that I overruled experts. A number of other veterans have condemned this. If you want to prove yourself to be 'Mr 56', do it, if you want to prove yourself to be the most intelligent, do it, but for that you are making public confidential things related to the country's security," Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said, at a press conference.

He hit out at the prime minister for giving out details of the operation, saying the armed forces had kept it a secret but Modi himself was making them public.

"Then he brought in clouds, we have not seen such jokes about the PM of a country that are now coming about Modi ji. What kind of an image you have created for those abroad," Khera said.

He said the country was entrusted in the hands of a person who does not know the difference between weather radar and avionics radar.

"Even if he did not know, he should hide his lack of knowledge rather than display it," Khera said.

In another dig at Modi, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal tweeted, "Balakot secret revealed by Modi: 'I thought there are clouds, we can escape radar. Ok, go ahead, chal pade'. Gave clarity to experts confused about launching in bad weather. What a leader, what a mind!" "We now know that: No radar can penetrate Modi's clouded mind!" Sibal said.

In the interview, Modi had said: "The weather was not good on the day of air strike. There was a thought that crept in the minds of the experts that the day of strike should be changed. However, I suggested that the clouds could actually help our planes escape the radars." The cross-border strike on terror camps was carried out in response to the Pulwama attack that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel.