The Congress party and its eco-system are accusing BJP of politicising the Balakot attack. As expected, BJP supporters have already cringed and started defending themselves. What I have not understood is, why cringe? Why not proudly say, ‘had it not been for BJP, this counter-strike would not have happened’?

There are many narratives being set to confuse the public. Here I list two of them:

Narrative 1: “Thank the Pilots and Airforce for the raid”

People who thank Pilots and Airforce consciously obfuscate. As if on a random night, a group of pilots, drinking together, got high, told their command they are going to bomb the hell out of a terror camp inside Pakistan, did just that and returned.

Pilots do not get to decide that.

The decision to bomb Pakistan is the most critical part of the elimination of the terror camp. One of the reasons for the returning of Abhinandan was, he is an officer doing his duty and Pakistan was duty-bound to return him as a PoW. In other words, he just followed orders. He did not decide to bomb or cross the LoC.

Nobody from the opposition parties asked the Chief of Airforce to get Abhinandan back. They asked Narendra Modi to talk peace. The accountability lies with the political leadership, because political leadership decides.

Had the mission failed, do you think the opposition parties would have blamed the IAF pilots or the Chief of Air Force? You know who would have been blamed as well as I do. If brickbats for an action are reserved for one, what prevents the same person from taking the bouquet too?

BJP set the objective and got multiple teams to work to achieve that objective. They deserve another term just for this one action.

Narrative 2:  “Do not politicise the Military action”

“War is the continuation of politics by other means.” Only the naïve would think otherwise. And the Congress and the Lutyens crowd know that it is easy to confuse the BJP supporters because they are naïve.

When the Govt decided to bomb inside Pakistan, it was a ‘political decision’. Had the mission failed, the implications would have been political and political only. Modi would have been asked to resign because the buck stops with him. 

If the failure of the mission would have led to Modi paying a political price that would have ended his political career, should he not be allowed to make an asset out of the mission’s success?

A case for politicisation (Positive assertion)

The current political decision needs to be highlighted because BJP believes it took a decision in the interest of the people of Bharat.

If people think that this is a bad decision for which BJP should be punished, so be it. But without projecting this political decision as BJP’s own, we are stifling a fact from getting around.

Also, BJP should highlight the decision as against the decisions taken by the previous government(s).
When our people were dying at the border, their bodies mutilated, private parts cut off, Salman Khurshid hosted then Pakistan PM Raja Parvez Ashraf in Ajmer for lunch. He claimed that, “It was a private visit… there was no official talk. We will do it at the appropriate time.”

For the Congress government, the death of soldiers was a low priority. For the Modi government, 12 days were too long.

Should people not vote on this difference?

The same Salman Khurshid now says “Many kudos for Wing Commander Abhi Varthaman, the face of India’s resistance to enemy aggression. Great poise and confidence in face of adversity. We are proud that he received his wings in 2004 and matured as a fighter pilot during UPA (rule)”

Many kudos for Wing Commander abhi Varthaman the face of India’s resistance to enemy aggression. Great poise and confidence in face of adversity. We are proud that he received his wings in 2004 and matured as fighter pilot during UPA

— Salman Khurshid (@salman7khurshid) March 2, 2019

Should BJP supporters not highlight the hypocrisy of Congress leaders and ask people to remember while casting their vote?

Balakot was a political decision

The BJP led government, Modi’s government, made the decision. Today that decision has completely exposed the Pakistani terror cells, both within and without government circles, as well as those camps within Bharat that find themselves unable to oppose Pakistan.

It should not stop BJP supporters from highlighting the success of the Air-raid as a political decision. A good decision. A well laid out plan which was well executed. A decision that BJP should be credited for in bold headlines.

Proudly announce – BJP government has taught a lesson to Pakistan that Congress failed to do for 10 long years. Had Congress taken a similar decision, many lives could have been saved.

BJP should take credit for the political decision to raid Jaish-e-Mohammed inside Pakistan, and face whatever consequences arise from this ‘politicisation’.

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