Top sources within the government suggest that PM Modi was inside the war room at the time India launched its offensive, deep inside Pakistan.
New Delhi: In the wake of India striking back deep inside Pakistan’s Balakot, 60 km from Abbottabad, all senior ministers of the Narendra Modi government have shelved their plans wherever these involved activities outside Delhi. The Prime Minister has asked all hands to be on the deck in the face of the unprecedented scenario.
Sushma Swaraj to brief all-party meet
Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj, who had to be in China, is instead in Delhi. Swaraj had a meeting scheduled with the Chinese state councillor and foreign minister Wang Yi on Wednesday.
The Russia-India-China (RIC) trilateral meeting was scheduled at Wuzhen, about 130 km from Shanghai. But that seems to stand cancelled. Instead, Swaraj attended the emergency Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meet chaired by the Prime Minister. She will brief an all-party meeting at 5 PM on Tuesday to brief what India has done to avenge Pulwama terror attack.
A similar all-party meeting was held immediately after the attack. The idea is to make India's polity speak in one voice.
Rajnath asked to be 'vigilant' of Kashmir
Union home minister Rajnath Singh had a meeting at 3 PM on Tuesday, which has been called off. He attended the emergency CCS meeting at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg, the Prime Minister’s residence.
Singh is learned to have been told to be extra vigilant in view of the “law and order situation” that may arise in parts of Kashmir following this revenge strike by India.
On Friday night, 100 companies of additional paramilitary forces were rushed to the Valley. This overnight movement of forces created confusion and chaos in Kashmir, but it was done to pre-empt a possible law-and-order situation that could follow the planned strike in Pakistan by the IAF, which it was preparing for under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister.
All senior ministers of the government of India have been asked to cancel their engagements and be in New Delhi and attend their respective ministries. This direction has come from the Prime Minister himself.
PMO briefs the President, V-P
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister’s Office has briefed both President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu about India’s revenge, which India is calling a “pre-emptive strike” to dismantle a key Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp atop a hill. Jaish had claimed responsibility for the Pulwama attack that killed at least 40 CRPF men.
Business as usual for Modi
However, it's the Prime Minister who is the only exception. He went ahead with his political rally at Churu in Rajasthan. In fact, in a clear reference to the Balakot revenge, Modi told the crowd, "I want to assure the people of this country from Churu that the nation is in safe hands", evoking thunderous applause from the crowd. He recalled how he had promised the citizens of the country during the 2013-14 Lok Sabha election campaign, "main desh nahin mitne doonga, main desh nahin jhukne doonga (I will not let the country down)".
It has been a long day on Tuesday for the PM and a long night. Modi, after inaugurating the National War Memorial, had gone to a media conclave. But top sources within the government say that PM Modi was inside the war room built for the purpose at the time India launched its offensive, deep inside Pakistan.
Last Updated Feb 26, 2019, 6:47 PM IST