Clarifying the government’s position, the Minister of State (MoS) for Electronics and IT said the aim of the airstrike was to send a message and not inflict human casualties. (File photo: PTI)

Amidst speculation over the number of terrorists killed in Inida's air strike in Pakistan, union minister SS Ahluwalia has refuted media reports about 300 jihadis being neutralised in the mission.

"I have seen the media reports but has Modi Ji said this anywhere that 300 people have been killed? Have any BJP spokesperson said this? Has Amit Shah said this?" questioned Ahluwalia, while speaking to mediapersons in SIliguri.

The Darjeeling BJP MP's comments come in the wake of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee questioning the Modi government over the airstrike.

"Media is reporting 300 people died, we want to know the actual truth. Where did they drop the bomb? Was it dropped at the right target? International media is reporting that no such thing happened, that the bomb missed its target and no one died! So what is the truth," Banerjee had asked on Thursday.

Clarifying the government’s position, the Minister of State (MoS) for Electronics and IT said the aim of the airstrike was to send a message and not inflict human casualties.

The reason there was no large scale destruction was because by bombing their backyard in spite of heavy security, we put across the message that we are capable of destruction if needed. We did not want any human casualty, the minister said.

Reacting to the minister’s comment, Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Saturday alleged that the Modi government had taken the nation for a ride.

Sharing Ahluwalia video on social media, the party tweeted, "Minister of State in Modi's cabinet, SS Ahluwalia is saying @narendramodi or @AmitShah never claimed that our #AirStrikes killed 300+ Terrorists & we didnt want any 'Human Casualties'. Is the Govt now backtracking from its claims that they took out a Terrorist Camp in Pakistan?"

"If what the Minister says is correct, then what it means is that Modi Govt has connived with lies pedalled by the Jingoistic media & taken the country for a ride. They now say they deliberately did not take the terrorists out as they did not want Human Casualties," the party alleged in an official statement on Twitter.