Don't think PM Modi has right to claim Balakot strike as his personal success: Amarinder Singh

Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh ahead of the last phase of Lok Sabha election, scheduled to take place on May 19 (Sunday) hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Balakot air strike saying that PM had no right to claim that it was his personal success. 

Placing his thoughts to an English daily during an interview, Captain Amarinder Singh said that there has not been any Prime Minister before him who had termed any strike by the forces as their personal success.

Recalling instances from the past, Amarinder Singh said former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi gave credit to Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw for the 1971 war. Similarly, for Kargil, PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave credit to the defense services and the then Army Chief General VP Malik. 

Acknowledging that the decision to carry out the strike was taken by Prime Minister, Amarinder Singh said it would have been obviously done after consultation with his cabinet, armed forces chiefs, but, it is the armed forces, defence services which carried out the operation.

Responding on the issue of questioning the air strike, Amarinder Singh did not feel wrong if people were questioning it. 

Punjab Chief Minister said that if Air Force chief says that they have carried out strikes, he would believe it since he was too an ex-serviceman, however, millions of people out there would like to know whether the airstrike was conducted or not.

Amarinder Singh further talked about how during the Kargil war, pictures of India's mission were shown on TV screens including Air Force targeting Pakistani Army ammunition dump and today's technology was more advanced and sophisticated.

Speaking on technical aspects of the air strike, Amarinder Singh said there are cameras on missiles which relay information till it hit its target, therefore, the air force must be having all these records but why doesn't the government was not revealing it.

Such practice has been a protocol and people and he would want to know, Amarinder Singh added. 

Polling in all the 13 Parliamentary constituencies in Punjab will be held in the last phase (7th phase) tomorrow. Counting of votes will be done on May 23.