The Centre has told leaders of all parties that there is no military tension with Pakistan and what happened in Balakot, “80 miles beyond the Line of Control”, was not a military action, but an anti-terrorist attack. At a meeting of leaders of various political parties, the Union Ministers also confirmed that more than 300 terrorists were at the camp when the air strike took places. A source who attended the meeting, however, said the Centre has not confirmed the total number of terrorists killed but said no civilians or Pakistan Army personnel were killed in the strike.

The meeting, convened by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, was attended by Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Narednra Singh Tomar and senior officials such as the secretaries of the Department of Defence, External Affairs and Home. No defence personnel were present in the meeting. In the event of a meeting of Pakistan’s nuclear command on Tuesday, the officials said there are efforts from the other side to escalate the matter but they will not be successful in doing so.

‘Intelligence inputs’

The Centre said it got intelligence input that more than 300 terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed are camped in Balakot to plan another attack on the country and the defence forces thought it is best to attack, so that such plans are busted. The Centre also told them that the strike was successful.

Later, talking to reporters, Opposition leader in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said the strike was a clean operation. “We will support our security forces in their endeavour to finish terrorism entering into India from outside. The good part was that it was a very clean operation,” he said.

In the meeting, the Centre, however, had to face tough questions. Based on Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik’s statement that it was intelligence failure which led to the Pulwama attacks, the Opposition members asked why such a lapse occurred after Pathankot and the Urisurgical strike. The Opposition also reminded the Centre that Indian Air Force officers were present when the Centre briefed the Opposition about the Uri strikes, but they were not there for Monday’s official meeting. Finance Minister Jaitley told the meeting that IAF was not present as the details of the Balakot strike are a secret.

On assault on Kashmiris

There were also questions on the reported attacks against Kashmiri students across the country and move to do away with 35-A of the Constitution, which confers the power to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly to define who are permanent residents and their rights. There were also questions that why the number of local youth who have joined terrorism from Kashmir increased in the last five years. A meeting of the Opposition parties will discuss the matter on Wednesday.

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