Srinagar: On Sunday, escalating the controversy over the Balakot air strike conducted by India last month, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said that the aerial attack was carried out to “rebuild Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image after he lost on several fronts back home". Farooq said “I know one thing when I was in Parliament in last days...The PM and its government's image was dropping down rapidly because  of unemployment, poor condition of industries, farmers distress, Demonetisation had also badly affected country and all this was going against him .... so there one thing simmering in Parliament that he will do something, a small minor attack on Pakistan to prove that he means business and see this has happened,”.

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Here it is to be noted that the India Air Force carried out the air strike on terrorist training camps in Pakistan’s Balakot on February 26 to avenge Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. The NC chief had earlier said that the air strike was conducted with an eye on elections. "We always knew that there would be a fight or a skirmish with Pakistan. This surgical strike (airstrike) was done as elections are approaching. We lost an aircraft worth crores. Be thankful that the pilot (IAF) survived & returned from Pakistan with respect," he was quoted as saying by ANI.

Earlier, Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan also resonated the same views and said that the votes are being fetched in the name of surgical strike and lives of the Army jawans. “Pehli baar aisa hua hai ki surgical strikes ke naam par vote maange ja rahe hain, yaani faujiyon ki zindagi par vote gine ja rahe hain, ki sarhadon ka bhi sauda hogya hai, khoon ka sauda hogya hai, vardiyon ka sauda hogya hai, saron ka sauda hogya hai. (This is happening for the first time that votes are being fetched in the name of surgical strike, in the name of our forces and jawans. Now bravery, borders, martyrdom are being traded. These issues should not be used to form governments and for elections),” the SP leader had said.

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