NEW DELHI: At a time when Indian politicians cutting across party lines praised the pre-dawn air strikes by Indian Air Force (IAF) at Jaish-e-Mohammed ’s (JeM) terror camps at Balakot in Pakistan on Tuesday, a senior Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPM] leader stunned all by attributing motives at the Modi government.

Addressing a party rally hours after the air strikes at Idukki in Kerala, state CPM secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said, "The BJP government, which fears defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, is trying to polarise communities through war mongering."

Seeking to politicise the ‘Surgical Strikes 2.0’, Balakrishnan further said, "Instead of finding a solution to the insurgency in Kashmir, the BJP government is trying to make things worse by making the people of Kashmir enemies of the state."

Balakrishnan’s remarks over the air strikes were in stark contrast to those of other politicians such as Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee , Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah.

Except for Balakrishnan, all other politicians hailed the IAF strikes and the government’s preemptive action in destroying terror camps in the wake of the Pulwama attack by a suicide bomber of the JeM.

In fact, Balakrishnan’s remarks were closer to what Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan remarked. “The airstrike was conducted for domestic consumption in an election year,” the Pakistan PM had said on Tuesday.

However, Balakrishnan’s remarks may not be surprising as the CPI(M) is known to have a different view from the national narrative over crucial issues in the past.

For instance, it supported Communist China during India’s war with that country in 1962. It even opposed donation of blood to the Indian soldiers who had suffered injuries in the war.

The party had also opposed the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and has always censured it.

