Ready to believe govt on Balakot air strike but who put number of casualties at 300: Chidambaram

New Delhi, Mar 04: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday slammed the Centre over the air strikes by the Indian Air Force in Pakistan's Balakot and asked who put out the number of casualties at 300-350.

Taking to Twitter, Chidambaram said if the IAF Vice Air Marshal declined to comment on casualties in the air strikes and the MEA statement said there were no civilian or military casualties, then "who put out the number of casualties as 300-350".

"Congress president Rahul Gandhi was the first to salute the Indian Air Force for its splendid achievement," he added.

"Why has Mr Modi forgotten that?" he asked.

Chidambarams comments came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at the Sankalp Rally in Patna, hit out at the Opposition for demanding proof of the air strikes.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday the armed forces were busy quelling terror, but the Congress and its allies are not convinced with their act of bravery.

"When the country needed to speak in one voice, 21 opposition parties gathered in Delhi to adopt a resolution condemning us. They are demanding proof from the armed forces for their act of bravery," the PM said at the BJP's Sankalp rally at Gandhi Maidan here.

He alleged that the opposition parties were "conspiring" against him, he said. "While I want to eliminate terror, opposition parties are conspiring to finish me," Modi said.

"At a time when our armed forces are fighting enemies across border and within India, some people are making statements to please Pakistan. This is New India, it does not remain silent on killings of its jawans," the prime minister stated.

The statements made by the opposition parties after the preemptive air strike on terror camps have made only people of Pakistan happy, he claimed.

India conducted air strike at a Jaish-e-Mohammed terror camp in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on February 26.