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BJP President Amit Shah, on Sunday, 3 March, said “more than 250 terrorists” were killed in the air strike carried out by the Indian Air Force in Pakistan’s Balakot on 26 February.
He hit out at opposition parties, alleging they "raised doubts" on the courage of the armed forces and their demand for proof of the IAF air strike brought a "smile on Pakistan's face".
He said these parties should "keep quiet" if they were unable to appreciate what Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the country's armed forces had achieved through the air strike on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Pakistan's Balakot.
"Pakistan smiled only after the press conferences of the opposition leaders where they raised questions on the courage of the armed forces," Shah claimed.
"We can understand that you do not have the courage of Modi ji, but if you cannot support and praise what Modi ji and the armed forces did, then at least keep quiet," he said.
Praising the PM's leadership, Shah claimed Modi went about his work routinely even as he thought up a plan to punish the perpetrators of the Pulwama attack on 14 February which killed 40 CRPF personnel.
He claimed Modi made the country understand what "zero tolerance" for terror meant by ordering the surgical strike and air strike.
"After the Pulwama attack, people said surgical strike was not possible, as army could not go (to bust terror camps). Modiji, while going about his routine work quietly, decided and planned (the counterattack) and our brave air force jawans killed hundreds of terrorists in an air strike and came back safely," he said.
He said with these strikes on terror camps, India has become only the third country in the world after the US and Israel to avenge attacks on its armed forces personnel.
Addressing a gathering of PM's Modh Vanik community in Ahmedabad , Shah said Modi had come from a humble background and had become the PM of the world's largest democracy.
He said while Modi "does not believe in casteism", the fact remains that he comes from the same community which has made its presence felt across the country through sheer hard work and good behaviour.
Shah said he knew Modi since 1980, when the latter was an unknown political entity to most, and claimed the PM has worked tirelessly to ensure ordinary workers like him (Shah) rose in the party.
Shah said the Modi government took several decisions to promote small businesses like waiving GST for firms with a turnover of up to Rs 40 lakh.
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