NEW DELHI – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s latest remarks about theBalakot airstrikes sparked furor online after he indicated that hepersonally authorised the attack in spite of bad weather conditions becausehe thought “the clouds could actually help our planes escape the radars”and “provide us much needed cover.”
Speaking to India’s News Nation TV channel on Saturday, Modi said heavyrain on the night of 25 February had complicated planning for the 26February strikes, even prompting military planners to consider reschedulingthe operation. He added, however, that he had to use his non-expert “rawvision” about using the clouds to India’s advantage to dispel defenceexperts’ doubts and push forward with the attack.
“At around 1:30 am, we started the movement, at 2:55 we okayed it andat 3:20 am I got the report about the airstrikes. There was so muchmovement in air and water that it confused Pakistan,” the prime ministerclaimed.
Divya Spandana, social media director for India’s main opposition party,the Congress Party, mocked Modi, tweeting that the ability to use radarto detect planes, “cloud or no cloud,” has been around for decades.
Modi’s remarks did not go over well among other detractors either. Someusers, including the prime minister’s other opponents in India’s ongoingelections, suggested that his evident lack of knowledge about how radartechnology works is a serious national security risk.View image on Twitterlink[image: View image on Twitter]link
linkMd Salim✔@salimdotcomradelinklink
Someone please tell him that radar is different from binoculars. Let’s waittill 23 May, Modi won’t be able to see BJP’s majority either withbinoculars or with microscope. He would then need a radar to figure outwhere to escape from Delhi. #DeshKeDilMeiModilink #Phase
Twitter Ads info and privacy linklink
Read Top Stories
Others couldn’t help but chuckle, sarcastically quipping that their “cloudscientist” PM’s remarks were an “important piece of tactical informationthat will be critical when planning future air strikes,” or suggesting thatModi may have been “high.”
Eventually, users came up with the #EntireCloudCover hashtag, whichinstantly became popular on the Indian segment of Twitter.
On 26 February, India launched air strikes against a militant group whichclaimed responsibility for the 14 February suicide car bombing which killed40 Indian security personnel in Pulwama, India.
A day later, India carried out a second strike, with Pakistani jetsscrambled to intercept the warplanes, sparking a dog fight in whichat least one Indian MiG-21 was shot down, with India claiming a PakistaniF-16 was also destroyed.
The terror attack, India’s response and the ensuing dogfight sparked aseries of clashes along the sensitive Line of Control border area whichcontinue to this day. Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) haveused the strikes and the ongoing tensions during India’s ongoing electionsto portray the prime minister as a tough leader who bravely defended thecountry. -Sputnik
