Would not have entered Pakistan if IAF had Rafale: Rajnath

Itanagar: Home Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday said there would have been no need for the IAF to enter the Pakistani airspace to hit the Balakot militant training camp if it had Rafale aircraft.
Addressing a rally in northeast Delhi’s Yamuna Vihar, he said the “miracle” would have been possible from Indian territory.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the results would have been different if India had Rafale fighter jets, as he attacked the Congress for its tirade against his government over the aircraft deal.
“During the UPA government’s tenure, the Indian Army would hoist a white flag whenever the Pakistani forces violated the ceasefire at the border. During my tenure as home minister, I gave orders that if Pakistan fires one bullet, then you fire as much as you can,” Singh said.
Responding to Congress chief Rahul Gandhi’s jibe ‘chowkidar chor hai’ against Modi, the senior BJP leader said the prime minister was “pure and the only cure” for all problems of the country.
Gandhi has often used the slogan ‘chowkidar chor hai’ to hit out at Modi over alleged corruption in the Rafale jet deal.
“Chowkidar is not a thief, but pure. He is the only cure for all problems of country. He will become prime minister again for sure,” Singh said and asked “for whom will our prime minister take money?”
Referring to the Balakot air strikes, he said, “Had Rafale been there, there was no need for our air force personnel to go to Pakistan. And that miracle would have taken place from Indian territory. And these people (the Congress) level baseless allegations against us.”
Targeting the previous Congress governments for stalling defence modernisation, he said the Indian Air Force did not get any new aircraft for 30 years despite repeated requests.
He also asked if Prime Minister Modi committed any crime by finalising the Rafale deal with France when the armed forces were in dire need of fighter jets.
“Our armed forces kept asking for fighter jets for 30 years. They should be modernised,” Singh said.
Singh said the Congress did not take action against the perpetrators of the 26/11 attack, but the attack on a CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama district was avenged.
“Now the Congress is asking how many (terrorists) were killed in Pakistan. The brave armed forces don’t count bodies. This is for the others to do,” he said.
Over reports of Kashmiri-origin people being attacked in different parts of country following the Pulwama attack, he asked people to protect Kashmiri students.