New Delhi: What appears to be a self goal by Congress, former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Thursday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said that he has dealt with terrorism better his predecessor Minister Manmohan Singh. 

In an interview with News18, Dikshit said, “Manmohan Singh’s… yes, I agree with you wasn’t as strong or as determined as he [Modi] is perhaps but then there is also the feeling that he is doing all for politics, not that he wants to, not out of the sense of…”.

Following the remark, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal criticised Dikshit saying that "something cooking between the BJP and Congress". 

Also read: Also read: Sheila Dikshit drops a bomb on seat-sharing, AAP drops dead

However, the Congress leader took to Twitter to give an explanation for her statement. She said, “Here is what I said – it may seem to some people that Mr Modi is stronger on terror but I think this is a poll gimmick more than anything else. I also added that national security has been a concern and Indiraji [former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi] was a strong leader.”

Congress leaders criticised BJP after the Pulwama attack, which killed at least 40 CRPF jawans on February 14, and the following Balakot air strike by Indian Air Force. 

Congress leader and former MP Noor Bano insulted the jawans by blaming the Indian Army for the terror attack.
“It was the duty of the forces to prevent the attack. They had the indications of an attack, then why didn't they take precautions?” said Bano. She added, “The armed forces are solely responsible for this attack.”

Bano was not the only Congress leader to question the armed forces or support Pakistan. Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu defended Pakistan and said that talks between the two countries should not stop. 

Defending the dastardly attack, Sidhu said both India and Pakistan need to find a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue and added that terrorists have no religion, no country and no caste.