Go to Pak and count bodies of terrorists, Rajnath tells doubting Thomases

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday said the government does not have the number of Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists killed in the IAF strike in Pakistan's Balakot and attacked those questioning its veracity, insisting people who do that are indulging in politics over the valour of the armed forces.

He said the number of fatalities at the JeM terror training camp will be known some day.

Singh, however, claimed that the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) has informed the security establishment about the presence of around 300 "active" mobile phones at the training camp site before the IAF bombing.

Charging the opposition with doing politics over the "valour and sacrifice" of defence personnel, the minister advised the Congress, which been demanding proof of the retaliatory assault and casualties in the aftermath of the Pulwama suicide bombing that left 40 CRPF men dead, to go to Pakistan and count the bodies if they indeed wanted to ascertain the number of fatalities.

"Some leaders of other political parties are asking us questions about how many terrorists were killed in the IAF strike. Some day, it will be known that how many were killed. Leaders in Pakistan know in their hearts how many perished in the IAF attack," Singh told a public gathering after inaugurating an electronic border guarding project of the BSF on the Indo-Bangladesh border here.

He mocked the opposition over its demand for the number of fatalities, wondering why its leaders were asking "kitne mare, kitne mare?" (how many were killed?)"
"Now, imagine how many were killed. We do not need to tell this number. I would like to ask if these mobile phones were used by trees or people were there. Now will you (Congress and other opposition parties) not believe the NTRO also? Strange questions are being asked."