KOLKATA: Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh hit out at Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for raising doubts about the credibility of the Balakot strike and said she was enough to cause more harm to the nation than Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. Addressing a press conference, he said, “When the entire nation is demanding retaliation after the Pulwama terror attack, opposition leaders like Mamata Banerjee, Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal are making Pakistan’s job easier by making insensible comments over Balakot (air strikes).”
Ghosh added, “It is unfortunate that instead of standing united, they are asking for the number of casualties during the Balakot strike. I must say these leaders, including Banerjee, are now very popular in Pakistan. I would like to remind these leaders that once Lalu Yadavji was also popular in Pakistan. Now everyone knows his current status. I think people like Imran Khan are not needed to harm India, Banerjee alone is enough. When a party like Trinamool Congress is operating here, what is the need of terrorist outfits like SIMI, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen or Al Qaeda to attack?”
Refering to the Nandigram and Chhoto Angaria massacres in Bengal, Ghosh said, “She (Banerjee) had then immediately claimed that hundreds of people were killed. I would like to ask her how she was so sure about the number of casualties in Nandigram and Chhoto Angaria. Who counted the bodies then? Now, she is demanding the number of causualties in Balakot. I think such stand by opposition leaders would demoralise the forces in India. Based on opposition statements over the last few days, it seems they are more depressed than people in Pakistan.”
Banerjee responded to Ghosh's attack, and said, “We salute our jawans, but we will not allow anyone to politicise the issue. My father was a freedom fighter and I know what patriotism is. I am not against our armed forces. I am not against our jawans but I am against the BJP who are playing politics with their blood.”
