Sam Pitroda, one of the accused in the National Herald ‘cheating and breach of trust’ scam and one of the most trusted aides of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, today came out to back Pakistan to demand proofs of the Balakot airstrikes carried out by the Indian Air Force on Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camps in Pakistan.
The Indian Overseas Congress chief, adding insult to injury, said that he would like to know a little more about the Balakot airstrikes since he has read in New York Times and other newspapers ‘what did we really attack’.
He questions, did we really kill 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 does not mean I am not nationalist. That does not 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 the global media says that nobody was killed. I look bad as an Indian citizen,” he said.
Over and above the fact that Congress leader is again toeing the line of Pakistan, Pitroda is giving credibility to New York Times article, which had not only downplayed Pulwama terror attack by referring to it as ‘explosion’ but also peddled half-truths and whole lies to perpetuate its anti-India narrative.
Unfortunately, Pitroda is not the only Congress leader to cite pro-Pakistan foreign media to make a point. Referring to the terror attack as an ‘accident’, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh had said that reports in various foreign media regarding the “air strike” have created a doubt in our minds. This has made us question the credibility of the Indian government as well, he added. Kapil Sibal and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath were also seen taking a similar stand.
With these statements, however, Pitroda joins a lost list of Opposition leader who have questioned the Balakot airstrikes as well as floated conspiracy theories regarding the Pulwama terror attack itself.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi himself was caught on camera dancing just hours after the Pulwama attack. Congress then deleted the video after it was pointed out.
Congress leader B K Hariprasad, a Rajya Sabha MP from Karnataka, had stirred a controversy by mocking the Pulwama terrorist attack which claimed the lives more than 40 CRPF personnel. Hariprasad called the terrorist attack a ‘fixed-match’ between PM Modi and Pakistan.
Similarly, Goa Congress leader Chellakumar had alleged that the Pulwama attack was orchestrated by PM Modi and went on to ask where were the bodies of terrorists who were killed in the airstrikes. Kumar had also floated a conspiracy theory that the Pulwama terror attack, the responsibility of which was claimed by Pakistan based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad, was an inside job.
Just after the cowardly attack by a Kashmiri terrorist belonging to the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Muhammad claimed 40 lives of our CRPF soldiers, the Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had rubbed salt on their wounds by alleging that the terrorist was a ‘Home-grown so-called terrorist’.
Following Pitroda’s shameful comment, Prime Minister Modi came down heavily on him and said that the Indian citizens will not forgive Congress leaders’ pro-Pakistan stand.
