Air strike doubters acting like anti-nationals: Bengal BJP

West Bengal BJP leader Mukul Roy here on Monday said those who were raising questions about the air strikes on a terror camp in Balakot, Pakistan, were insulting the country's armed forces and acting like anti-nationals.

"Those who are questioning the IAF air strikes are insulting the Indian Army and the Air Force. Some people from the country and Bengal are questioning the honesty of the Indian Army. They are acting like anti-nationals," Roy said at the state BJP headquarters.

They should apologise to the Indian Army and the Air Force for doubting their honesty, he added.

"People of India and Bengal will not forgive them. Those who could not take such steps before are now trying to malign the armed forces to hide their failures. We demand those who are raising such questions, must apologise to the Indian Army," said Roy, who joined the BJP from Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress last year.

"When the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks happened, the Indian Army wanted to retaliate, but the then government did not give them the permission," he said in a veiled reference to the erstwhile Congress government at the Centre.

Roy's comments came after IAF Chief B.S. Dhanoa on Monday asserted the Indian fighter jets "bombed" the target it intended to in Balakot across the Line of Control (LoC). However, he said it is not IAF's duty to count human casualties in the attack.

Referring to an audio message of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar's brother Maulana Ammar, Roy said the JeM leader has admitted that the terror outfit suffered heavy damage in the attack.

"Masood's brother is saying that their training camp has been demolished in the Indian attack and many of their members have been killed. But still some politicians are raising questions about success of the air strikes," he said.

When asked about the party candidate list from Bengal for the Lok Sabha elections, Roy said it would be decided by the party central parliamentary committee.

"I do not have the authority to nominate any candidate for Lok Sabha elections. The BJP's state unit cannot nominate any person for LS tickets. I am only the in-charge of the party's election management committee here," he said.

--IANS

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