Under fire, Yeddyurappa says no question of seeking electoral gains from air strike

As India's air strike on terror camps in Pakistan with BJP's prospects in Lok Sabha polls, party Karnataka chief B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday said there was no question of seeking electoral gains and the nation came first to him.

Bengaluru: Facing flak for linking India's air strike on terror camps in Pakistan with BJP's prospects in Lok Sabha polls, party Karnataka chief B S Yeddyurappa on Thursday said there was no question of seeking electoral gains and the nation came first to him.

Yeddyurappa's remarks amid escalating tension betweenIndia and Pakistan drew criticism from political leaders inKarnataka and disapproval from his own party colleague andMinister of State for External Affairs V K Singh. He had on Wednesday said India's pre-emptive strikes on terror camps in Pakistan has created a wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will help the party win over 22 out of 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka.

The Pakistan media and the ruling party there PakistanTehreek-e-Insaf too latched on to Yeddyurappa's statement to question India whether the war was an election option. "I would like to clarify that my yesterday's statement has been completely misinterpreted. I have the highest regard for our armed forces. I salute the bravery of our men in fighting for the country's safety," Yeddyurappa said in a series of tweets.

"I stand along with my fellow countrymen and pray for the safe return of (Wing) Commander Abhinandan Varthaman (IAF pilot in Pakistan's custody). To me, the Nation comes first and then the party," he said.In another tweet, he said, "My statement is being reported out of context. I said that 'situation is favorable for BJP' which I have been saying for the last couple ofmonths. This is not the first time I said BJP in Karnataka will win a minimum of 22 seats under the able leadership of Modiji."

Speaking to reporters, he said there was no question ofusing the situation arising out of the IAF strike for electoral gains.Noting that External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj andUnion Home Minister Rajnath Singh had informed about the developments at an all-party meeting, he said all politicalparties, including Congress President Rahul Gandhi, havewelcomed India's action."Where is the question of using it for politics? The whole country has welcomed it. There is no question of using it for political gains," he added.

Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and Congress legislature party leader Siddaramaiah slammed Yeddyurappa for looking at political gains on an issue involving national security and interest.Singh, a former Army chief, expressed his difference with Yeddyurappa on the issue. "@BSYBJPji, I beg to differ. We stand as one nation, action taken by our government is to safeguard our nation & ensure the safety of our citizens, not to win a few extra seats," Singh tweeted.

He tagged a video link of former prime minister AtalBihari Vajpayee's speech in the parliament stressing on unity among parties at times of national distress.In a tweet tagging a news report about Yeddyurappa'sstatement, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's party said "Air Force excursions, war mongering, soldiers in captivityand the lives of so many people in danger all equate to 22seats in the eyes of representatives on India's ruling party. Is war an election option? #SayNoToWar."

Hitting out at Yeddyurappa, Kumaraswamy termed his comments as "shameful.""The entire nation is united in supporting the centralgovt & our armed forces to fight terrorism, while #Bjp leader @BSYBJP is busy calculating how many extra LS seats theterror attack & Pak war can bring to his party. "It's shameful to exploit our jawans' sacrifice for electoral gains," Kumaraswamy tweeted.

Questioning BJP's intention, former Chief Minister andCongress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Siddaramaiah demanded clarification from the prime minister."Shocking & disgusting to understand #BJPsPlot4Vote.It is unfortunate that @BJP4India is calculating electoralgains even before the dust has settled," he said in a tweet.He also said, "No patriot shall derive such sadistic gains over soldiers' death, only an anti-nationalist can. What will RSS say about this?" Siddaramaiah asked.State Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao also slammedYeddyurappa, asking whether going to war an electoral strategy for the BJP.

(With inputs from PTI)