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In a bold statement he said that if BJP doesn’t get 220-230 seats then Modi may not be re-elected as the PM. “..the extra 30 or 40 — if they (NDA alliance) say no, we can’t accept him (Modi). (Naveen) Patnaik has gone on record to say that he does not deserve a second term, and if we are going to bring in Mayawati, she has not disclosed her mind.”

He further said that BJP would come to power but with a lesser majority than before and will have to enter into post-poll alliances. However, if Modi promises to build the Ram temple in Ayodhya then there wouldn’t be a need for a coalition government. “If he goes there (Ayodhya) and says ‘I pledge that I will I get this built in my next term,’ everything else will be swept away,” said Swamy.

He even boldly accepted that had it not been for the Balakot strikes, Modi would have lost credibility as the economy has crumbled in his regime with GST being the biggest disaster. “..For the election, I don’t think one needs to be bothered about economics at all. This — economy, unemployment — this is all westernization. In no time, after we took that (air) strike against Pakistan, our ratings went up. Otherwise, we were running at 160. Now, we are definitely within reach of the majority. This is because of tough action against Pakistan, dismissing the Kashmir government.”, Swamy said.

He then went on to accuse the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley for economy’s mismanagement and called him “incompetent.” He further expressed his interest to become the Finance Minister as he is well-qualified for the post.

Swamy then spoke about his issues with Modi and his way to rule. He expressed disapproval of not giving him a post in spite of serving the RSS-BJP for so many years. Swamy said, “The main problem is his (Modi’s) extraordinarily unhealthy centralization of decision making. And the utter disregard that party president (Amit Shah) has for the worker. He was a machine man, like some guy from Chicago — you know, efficient. When the going is good, he produces results. When the going is bad, we have this problem. Modi is also highly inaccessible.”

While Swamy is sure about BJP’s victory, he is sceptical about Modi’s second term as a PM. As an alternative, he has given the name of Nitin Gadkari saying that he is well competent for the post.
In an unusual statement, coming from a party member, Swamy said that people are faced with lack of alternatives (in this election) which will bring BJP and Modi back.

Rajya Sabha MP, Swamy, has been an unapologetic proponent of Hindu nationalism and is infamous for making inflammatory statements against Indian Muslims.
 

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Image Courtesy: REUTERS/Salahuddin

Reuters explained that some visitors expected to clarify several details, especially regarding India’s claim that the air strike was a success and hit a major terror training camp, or if they missed the madrasa and instead landed in the hills, as Pakistan has said. Another aspect was if the madrasa “was a cover” for Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The organisation claimed responsibility for the February 14 suicide bombing that claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel, after which India mounted the air strike. 

However, the diplomats and reporters did not have sufficient time to address these queries. They were only permitted into the madrasa’s main building, and “were hurried away by the army, which organised the trip, after less than half an hour. Those arriving by vehicle had even less time,” Reuters stated, adding that they were also only permitted a limited interaction with the madrasa’s teachers and students, which ranged from young to older teenagers. When questioned about this, army spokesperson Major General Asif Ghafoor said that Pakistan did not have anything to hide, and that reporters could come to stay for a night or even a month in the future. He denied that JeM had recently used the madrasa, and indicated that “If there was a relationship it was a long time ago,” Reuters stated. 

At least three diplomats told Reuters that “it was very difficult to draw any firm conclusions because of the six-week delay in gaining access and the restricted time allowed to look around.” One Western diplomat said, “I don’t think the site was hit but I still can’t be 100 percent after today,” adding, “As to whether JeM were here – they may have been but I can’t determine that from this either.” The group was “shown craters that the allegedly wayward missiles had created on the surrounding hillsides” on its way up to the madrasa compound, Reuters reported.

The group of diplomats and journalists did not see any indication that there had been construction work to remove structures, or build new ones, Reuters noted, adding that vegetation also did not seem display any signs of being hit by a missile attack. Satellite images have suggested that the primary buildings on the hill seemed to be in the same condition as they were prior to the air strike. 

For the complete Reuters piece, go here.

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Osmanabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s appeal this week in Latur to all first-time voters to “dedicate” their votes to the “brave soldiers” who carried out the Balakot air strike and to the “braves martyred” in the Pulwama terror attack is a violation of the Election Commission’s instructions prohibiting the use of armed forces for political gains, the Osmanabad District Election Officer (DEO) is learnt to have said in his report submitted to the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) The Indian Express reported.
 
According to sources in the state CEO office, the DEO’s report PM’s Balakot remark prima facie violation, says the poll office along with his comments have been forwarded to the EC and the final call on the matter rests with the Commission, the report added.
 

Addressing the rally in Ausa, Modi had said: “Mein zara kehna chhahta hoon mere first-time voteron ko. Kya aapka pehla vote Pakistan ke Balakot mein air strike karnewale veer jawanon ke naam samarpit ho sakta hai kya? Mein mere first-time voter se kehna chhahta hoon ki aapka pehla vote Pulwama mein jo veer shahid hue hain un veer shahidon ke naam aapka vote samarpit ho sakta hai kya?” (“I want to tell my first-time voters: Can your first vote be dedicated to the brave soldiers who carried out the air strike in Balakot in Pakistan? I want to tell my first-time voters: Can your first vote be dedicated to the braves martyred in Pulwama?”).
 
If the EC agrees with the Osmanabad DEO’s opinion, then Modi, for the first time, will be asked to explain his remarks for a prima facie violation of the Model Code of Conduct in an election after becoming the Prime Minister. EC officials indicated that a decision is likely this week, the report said.
 
The Election Commission (EC) had issued an advisory on March 19, asking parties and their candidates against using pictures of defence force personnel in their campaign material.
 
“Parties/candidates are advised that their campaigners/candidates should desist, as part of their election campaigning, from indulging in any political propaganda involving activities of defence forces,” the Commission had said.
 
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh shot off a complaint letter to the Election Commission, seeking action against the PM for violation of the model code of conduct.

Calling PM Modi’s speech in Maharashtra as “shockingly disgraceful”, Amarinder Singh said it was a “clear case of violation of the code of conduct, which constitutes the bedrock of free and fair election,” and failure to check such instances suggested bias on the part of the Election Commission.
 
“That a person of the stature of the Prime Minister should indulge in such shameful acts makes a mockery of the democratic process of election and undermines the independence of the Election Commission as well as the armed forces, who have always prided themselves on their secular character,” the Chief Minister wrote.
 
India had conducted air strikes on a terror training camp run by Jaish-e-Mohammed in Pakistan’s Balakot after the terror group claimed responsibility for killing 40 CRPF soldiers in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama.
 
The model code of conduct came into effect on March 10 when the Election Commission announced dates for the general elections. India will vote in seven phases beginning today and results will be counted on May 23.

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Invoking the Balakot airstrikes inside Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday asked first-time voters for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls to dedicate their vote to those who carried out the daring operation to target a terror camp.
 
Modi also urged the voters to dedicate their first vote to the slain CRPF personnel in the Pulwama terror attack and to the cause of providing pucca houses to the poor, water in farms of farmers and ‘healthcare for all’. The first phase of the multi-phase parliamentary elections begins on Thursday.

The Election Commission (EC) had issued an advisory on March 19, asking parties and their candidates against using pictures of defence force personnel in their campaign material.
 
“Parties/candidates are advised that their campaigners/candidates should desist, as part of their election campaigning, from indulging in any political propaganda involving activities of defence forces,” the Commission had said.
 
EC has taken cognisance of Modi’s remarks and sought a report from Maharashtra poll officials.
 
The remarks by Modi on the IAF operation on February 26 while addressing rallies in Maharashtra and Karnataka prompted the CPI-M to write a letter to the Election Commission (EC) alleging the violation of model code.
 
“With deep anguish we are drawing your attention to the latest violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is also violating the specific direction of the Election Commission to refrain from invoking the armed forces for seeking votes,” CPI-M politburo member Nilotpal Basu said.
 
Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal told reporters in Delhi there should be no politics in the name of our martyrs, but it is happening and the ‘sad part’ is that the Election Commission is also not doing anything about it.
 
“Can your first vote be dedicated to those who carried out the air strike,” Modi said, appealing to the first-time voters at his rally in Ausa in Latur district in Maharashtra.
 
“I want to tell the first-time voters: can your first vote be dedicated to the ‘veer jawans’ (valiant soldiers) who carried out the air strike in Pakistan).
 
“Can your first vote be dedicated to the ‘veer shaheed’ (brave martyrs) of Pulwama (terror attack),” Modi said.

As many as 40 CRPF personnel were killed in an attack on their convoy in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir by a Jaish suicide bomber on February 14.

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The use of the phrase ‘non military preemptive action’ is significant, as it scales down the rhetoric of war and places the strikes in the context of New Delhi’s action to pre-empt further terror attacks on India.

The key points made by the Foreign Secretary are as follows:

On 14 February 2019, a suicide terror attack was conducted by the Pakistan based terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammad, leading to the martyrdom of 40 brave jawans of the CRPF. JeM has been active in Pakistan for the last two decades, and is led by Masood Azhar with its headquarters in Bahawalpur.

This organization, which is proscribed by the UN, has been responsible of a series of terrorist attacks including on the Indian Parliament in December 2001 and the Pathankot airbase in January 2016.

Information regarding the location of training camps in Pakistan and PoJK has been provided to Pakistan from time to time. Pakistan, however, denies their existence. The existence of such massive training facilities capable of training hundreds of jidhadis could not have functioned without the knowledge of Pakistan authorities.

India has repeatedly been urging Pakistan to take action against the JeM to prevent jihadis from being trained and armed inside Pakistan. Pakistan has taken no concrete actions to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism on its soil.

Credible intelligence was received that JeM was attempting another suicide terror attack in various parts of the country, and that fidayeen jihadis were being trained for this purpose. In the face of imminent danger, a preemptive strike became absolutely necessary.

In an intelligence led operation in the early hours of today, India struck the biggest training camp of JeM in Balakot. In this operation, a very large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders and groups of jihadis who were being trained for fidayeen action were eliminated. This facility at Balakot was headed by Maulana Yousuf Azhar (alias Ustad Ghouri), the brother-in-law of Masood Azhar, Chief of JeM.

The Government of India is firmly and resolutely committed to taking all necessary measures to fight the menace of terrorism. Hence this non-military preemptive action was specifically targeted at the JeM camp. The selection of the target was also conditioned by our desire to avoid civilian casualties. The facility is located in a thick forest on a hilltop far away from any civilian presence. As the strike took place only a short while ago, we are awaiting further details.

The Government of Pakistan had made a solemn commitment in January 2004 not to allow its soil or territory under its control to be used for terrorism against India. We expect that Pakistan lives up to its public commitment and takes follow up actions to dismantle all JeM and other camps and hold the terrorists accountable for the actions.

Courtesy: Indian Cultural Forum
 

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Prabir Purkayastha, editor-in-chief, Newsclcik, discusses, with defence expert D Raghunandan and senior journalist Gautam Navlakha, the recent IAF air strike in Balakot. They talk about the possibility of retaliation by Pakistan, and about how we need to wait until concrete evidence on the casualties arrives.

Courtesy: News Click

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