Travesty that Cong, allies rallying behind terror-exporting Pak: BJP

Keeping the heat on the Congress over the Balakot air strike issue, the BJP said Wednesday it was a travesty that the opposition party and its allies were "rallying behind the terror-exporting Pakistan" when the whole world is backing India.

Taking a dig at the Congress, BJP spokesperson G V L Narasimha Rao said that seeing the "cries and the critical comments" of the Congress and its political friends, one is left wondering if they have been hit by the strike that "killed an unprecedentedly large number of terrorists" in Pakistan's territory.

He said in a statement that "irresponsible" comments by various Congress party leaders over India's air strike on terror bases in Pakistan show their desperation and frustration at the unprecedented success of the Indian armed forces and their valour.

"At a time when the entire nation is filled with national pride for the success of the forces, the Congress party leaders and many of their friends are speaking the language of Pakistan and hurting the sentiments and morale of our forces," Rao said.

It was a travesty that the Congress and its allies were "rallying behind the terror-exporting Pakistan", he said.

Rao said India and its brave forces are brimming with confidence and are celebrating the rising power and stock of a 'New India', while the Congress and their political friends appear to be feeling threatened of their political future in a rising India.

"Putting their political interests above that of the nation and by repeatedly questioning the action by our forces, the Congress and their political friends are guilty of furthering Pakistan's agenda for their narrow electoral considerations. This is not just condemnable but a sure path for their electoral disaster," he said.

The Congress and its friends are being increasingly seen as "cheerleaders" for Pakistan, he alleged.

The BJP and opposition parties have been involved in a bitter war of words with the latter asking the government to show proof of the high level of casualties of terrorists in the air strikes, as claimed by many ruling party leaders.

The opposition has accused the BJP of politicising sacrifices of armed forces, while the ruling party has hit back, saying its rivals were lowering the morale of armed forces.