A close aide of Rahul Gandhi and Indian Overseas Congress chief, Sam Pitroda, on Friday questioned the death toll in the Balakot airstrike by the Indian Air Force in response to the Pulwama terror attack and said it was wrong to attack Pakistan. "If they (IAF) killed 300, its ok. I am saying can you give me more facts to prove it," Sam Pitroda told news agency ANI. Sam Pitroda said it will be naive to assume that if some people came here and attacked, every nation is to be blamed. "Don't know much about attacks. It happens all the time. Attack happened in Mumbai also, we could have then reacted and just sent our planes but that is not right approach. According to me, that's not how you deal with the world," Sam Pitroda added. Sam Pitroda,Indian Overseas Congress Chief on #PulwamaAttack:Don’t know much about attacks,it happens all the time,attack happened in Mumbai also,we could have then reacted and just sent our planes but that is not right approach.According to me that’s not how you deal with world. pic.twitter.com/QZ6yXSZXb2 ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2019 On the airstrikes against the Jaish-e-Mohammed camp in Pakistan, Sam Pitroda said people of India deserved to know the facts of the Indian Air Force operation. Sam Pitroda said it was not right to "punish" Pakistan because of a few terrorists. "Eight people (26/11 terrorists) come and do something, you don't jump on entire nation (Pakistan). Naive to assume that just because some people came here and attacked, every citizen of that nation is to be blamed. I don't believe in that way," Sam Pitroda told ANI. When asked if Dr Manmohan Singh as the Prime Minister was as decisive in his actions as PM Narendra Modi, Pitroda said Manmohan Singh was one of the best Prime Ministers the country ever had. "A lot of people ridiculed, a lot of people have written articles, they have done movies. It is all bogus," he added. Sam Pitroda went on to say in the interview that since 2014, a populist government had risen in both India and the United States. "The formula is to create fear by saying that there is an enemy at the border. In India, it is Pakistan. In US, it is Mexican immigrants. Then say everything is bad because nobody is competent," he added. (with agency inputs) ALSO READ | PM slams Sam Pitroda, says Congress celebrating Pakistan National Day ALSO READ | Congress-BJP fight over IAF's airstrikes in Balakot WATCH | Attacks like Pulwama happen all the time, wrong to attack Pakistan: Sam Pitroda<doc-sep>Sam Pitroda alleged that the global media reported that no one was killed while the Indian media’s reporting said 300 terrorists were neutralised. (File) Sam Pitroda alleged that the global media reported that no one was killed while the Indian media’s reporting said 300 terrorists were neutralised. (File) Technocrat-turned-Congress politician Sam Pitroda was at the centre of a political row Friday after he sought “more facts” and proof of the death toll in the Balakot air strike and, while referring to the Mumbai 26/11 attack, said one cannot “jump on an entire nation… just because some people came here and attacked”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tore into the Congress, saying it was a “shame” that Rahul Gandhi’s “most trusted advisor and guide” had “kick-started the Pakistan National Day celebrations on behalf of the Congress, ironically by demeaning India’s armed forces”. BJP president Amit Shah, in a tweet, said: “Difference between Opposition and BJP is clear. They suspect our army, we are proud of our army. Their heart beats for terrorists, ours beats for the Tiranga. This election, through the power of your vote, do a surgical strike on the Congress culture. #JantaMaafNahiKaregi” Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, referring to Pitroda as “guru” of Rahul Gandhi, said: “Agar guru aisa ho aur uske vichar aise hon, toh shishya kitna nikamma niklega aaj is desh ko bhugatna pad raha hai (if the guru has such thoughts, imagine the incompetence of his student for which the country has to pay the price).” Read | India’s leadership fully capable to act against terror: Ajit Doval Distancing the party from Pitroda’s remarks, Congress communication department head Randeep Surjewala said “the expression of opinion by an individual has nothing to do with the opinion of the party”. The view of the Congress, he said, was that the Balakot strike was a shining example of the valour of the IAF. At the same time, he said, the Pulwama terror attack was a “national security and intelligence failure” of the Modi government. Read | US warns Pakistan: Another terror attack on India ‘extremely problematic’ In remarks to the ANI news agency, Pitroda, who heads the Congress overseas department and is a close friend of the Nehru-Gandhi family, had sought more information about the Balakot dead count. Saying he admired India’s security forces and “they did a super job”, he said: “If they killed 300, it is okay. All I am saying is can you give me more facts and prove it. That’s all. I am not debating anything. I am not even questioning anything. I want data because I am trained to believe in data.” Sam Pitroda, however, clarified his stand on questioning the Balakot airstrikes. (File) Sam Pitroda, however, clarified his stand on questioning the Balakot airstrikes. (File) Noting that he did not know much about the Pulwama terror attack, Pitroda said “attacks happen all the time… attack happened in Mumbai Taj hotel and Oberoi hotel. We could have reacted then and just sent our planes. But that is not the right approach, according to me. That is not how you deal with the world. Because eight people come and do something, you don’t jump on the entire nation. It doesn’t work that way. It is naïve to assume that just because some people came here and attacked, every citizen of that nation is to be blamed. I don’t believe that way.” “I would like to know a little more because I read reports in the New York Times and other newspapers. Did we really attack? We really killed 300 people? I don’t know that. As a citizen, I am entitled to know and if I ask, it is my duty to ask. That doesn’t mean I am not a nationalist. That doesn’t mean I am on this side or that side. We need to know the facts. If you say 300 people were killed, I need to know that. We all need to know that, people of India need to know that. And then comes the global media which says nobody was killed. I look bad as an Indian citizen,” he said.<doc-sep>NEW DELHI: An embarrassed Congress was forced to distance itself from tech czar Sam Pitroda ’s statement that air strikes on the Jaish terror camp in Balakot in Pakistan were “not the right approach” even as PM Narendra Modi pounced on the comment to attack the opposition party.In comments on the Pulwama terror attack, Pitroda, an adviser to Rahul Gandhi , said attacks happened all the time and then referred to the Mumbai terror strikes in 2008 when the Congress-led UPA was in office, saying the then government could have used air power too but that would not have been the right approach. He also sought more information on the Balakot air strikes, referring to media reports questioning claims that 300 terrorists were killed.With the IAF action a key element of BJP’s nationalism and national security plank, Modi picked up Pitroda’s comments, saying the remarks reflected that Congress was unwilling to respond to forces of terror. With several BJP leaders following suit, Modi said Rahul’s “most trusted advisor and guide”, had kick-started Pakistan National Day celebrations on behalf of his party, “ironically by demeaning India’s armed forces”.Modi posted a series of tweets using the hashtag ‘Janta Maaf Nahi Karegi’ (people won’t forgive), and said, “Loyal courtier of Congress’s royal dynasty admits what the nation already knew — Congress was unwilling to respond to forces of terror. This is a New India — we will answer terrorists in a language they understand and with interest.”Pitroda, who headed Indian Overseas Congress and has been the organiser of Rahul’s foreign engagements, had said one cannot “jump on an entire nation” (Pakistan) just because some eight people “came here and attacked”.Congress said this was his personal opinion while highlighting that Rahul had called the Balakot air strikes a “shining example of the valour of Indian Air Force”. With the BJP brass seizing on Pitroda’s remarks to call Congress soft on terror, the AICC tried to wriggle out with a counter offensive. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “PM Modi is hiding behind the valour of our defence forces and clinging on to the allegation of a particular person — that is his personal opinion and has nothing to do with the party — to do politics so that he does not have to answer questions about corruption.”Calling Pakistan a “terror state”, he said Pulwama was a national security failure of the Modi regime and that BJP had released Jaishe-Muhammed chief Masood Azhar who was directing attacks on Indian soil.<doc-sep>Sam Pitroda was attacked by BJP leaders over his remarks on the airstrikes. Switching to a damage-control mode after his controversial comments on Balakot airstrikes, Congress leader Sam Pitroda said as a citizen of India, he has the right to question the government. "Just said as a citizen, I am entitled to know what happened. I am not talking on behalf of party, just speaking as a citizen. I have (the) right to know, what is wrong in it?" Sam Pitroda asked. In response to the backlash, Sam Pitroda said he was unable to understand what the issue was. "I am baffled at the response. Shows how people react to trivial matters in India. It is a totally trivial matter. A citizen is just asking a question," Sam Pitroda told ANI on Friday. Sam Pitroda,Indian Overseas Congress Chief on his interview: I don't understand what is the controversy here, I am baffled at the response.Shows how people react to trivial matters in India. It is a totally trivial matter. A citizen is just asking a question. pic.twitter.com/NNdRHeZ0Go ANI (@ANI) March 22, 2019 The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, targeted Congress party president Rahul Gandhi over his close aide Sam Pitroda's remark on the Pulwama terror attack. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said the Rahul Gandhi aide confirmed that Congress is unwilling to fight on terror. "The most trusted advisor and guide of the Congress President has kick-started the Pakistan National Day celebrations on behalf of the Congress, ironically by demeaning India’s armed forces. Shame!" Modi had tweeted. ALSO READ | PM Modi slams Sam Pitroda, says Congress celebrating Pak National Day WATCH | Attacks like Pulwama happen all the time, wrong to attack Pakistan: Sam Pitroda<doc-sep>
New Delhi: Congress’s Indian overseas chief Sam Pitroda handed electoral advantage to the BJP on a platter on Friday with comments that entire Pakistan can’t be blamed for 26/11 and Pulwama terror attacks. Launching a sharply worded attack on the Congress, Prime Minister Narendra Modi used Pitroda’s comment to reiterate that the Congress-led UPA governments didn’t act against Pakistan despite repeated provocations and terror attacks Pitroda was quoted by news agency ANI as further questioning the death toll in the Balakot aistrike by the Indian Air Force in response to the Pulwama terror attack. Speaking on the terror attack which killed 40 CRPF personnel in Jammu and Kashmir, Pitroda said "Don't know much about attacks. It happens all the time. Attack happened in Mumbai also, we could have then reacted and just sent our planes but that is not right approach. According to me that's not how you deal with world." Pitroda said it was not right to "punish" Pakistan because of a few terrorists. "Eight people (26/11 terrorists) come and do something, you don't jump on entire nation (Pakistan). Naive to assume that just because some people came here and attacked, every citizen of that nation is to be blamed. I don't believe in that way," Pitroda said. Shortly after Pitroda’s comments were reported, Modi tweeted that Piroda was “loyal courtier of Congress’ royal dynasty”. Loyal courtier of Congress’ royal dynasty admits what the nation already knew- Congress was unwilling to respond to forces of terror.This is a New India- we will answer terrorists in a language they understand and with interest! https://t.co/Mul4LIbKb5— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 22, 2019 Opposition is the natural habitat of terror apologists and questioners of our armed forces. This reprehensible statement by a senior leader like Ram Gopal Ji insults all those who have given their lives in protecting Kashmir. It humiliates the families of our martyrs. https://t.co/BZyWbIyJjo— Chowkidar Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 22, 2019 Speaking on India’s claims of destroying Jaish-e-Mohammad camps in Pakistan, close confidant of Rahul Gandhi, Pitroda said international news outlets had an alternate view of the impact of the air strike and that the people of India deserved to know the facts of the Air Force operation. “I would like to know a little more because I read reports in the New York Times and other newspapers. Did we really attack? We really killed 300 people? I don’t know that. As a citizen, I am entitled to know and if I ask it is my duty to ask, that doesn’t mean I’m not a nationalist, That doesn’t mean I am on this side or that side. We need to know the facts. If you say 300 people were killed, I need to know that,” said Pitroda. He also sought a dialogue with Pakistan. “I am a Gandhian, I believe in more compassion and respect. I believe in more dialogues personally. I think we should have a dialogue with everybody. Why just Pakistan? We are having dialogue with the whole world,” he added. Pitroda in the latter half of the interview with ANI clarified that his remarks on the Pulwama terror attack and Balakot air strikes were his personal views and not those of the Congress. “I am talking as an individual. I am talking as a scientist. I believe in reason. I believe in logic. I believe in data. I don’t believe in emotions,” he added. Speaking to News18 later, Pitroda said his comments were being quoted out of context. “I have just asked a question. What is the problem in that? As citizens, we need to know the facts. What is so complicated in that and what is anti-national in this?” he asked. Pitroda said what he talked about in the interview was the need for more information and facts that the government has a duty to provide to the public. “We respect jawans and their families. We feel for them. The PM can say what he has to, but why is everyone so upset,” he said.