Bengaluru: Celebrating India’s airstrike will cause communal tensions in the country, said Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, referring to BJP cadres hoisting flags and distributing sweets after the IAF had carried out airstrikes on terror bases in Pakistan on 26 February.
Speaking at a public meeting, he asked, “Why were there no instance of terrorists carrying out blasts or killing anyone when Deve Gowda was the Prime Minister? Why are they happening now? You need to think over it,” said Kumaraswamy.
Slamming the BJP for celebrating the airstrikes in Pakistan, Kumaraswamy said, “They are hoisting the victory flags as if they themselves flew the aircraft and carried out bombing inside Pakistan. It is misusing a situation for vested interests.”
Kumaraswamy praised his father Deve Gowda and said when he was the Prime Minister, he had travelled to the Indo-Pak border in an open jeep, whereas now Modi needs many layers of security to visit Jammu and Kashmir.
He expressed concern about the conflict between India and Pakistan and cautioned the people against the BJP. He accused the saffron party was misusing innocent minds and that its party cadres were celebrating in a manner as if they were the saviours of the nation. He tweeted “Indians bombing Pakistan & celebrating India’s victory will create rift between two religions in India.” He warned that innocent lives may be lost if this bigotry continues.
The BJP retaliated strongly to his remarks. “@hd_kumaraswamy avare just reminding, you are a CM of an Indian state & not Pakistan. This statement completely exposes the anti India mindset of #Mahaghatbandhan,” the BJP had tweeted.
Rebutting this, Kumaraswamy accused the BJP of editing out the term ‘BJP’ in his speech and released the complete video. A complaint has been filed against him for saying “celebrating India’s airstrike will cause communal tensions in the country”.
On 14 February, Pulwama terror attack claimed the life of at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans, and India carried out preemptive airstrikes on terror camps belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed across the LoC in Pakistan on 26 February.