Responding to Pakistan’s renewed efforts to convince the world that nothing happened during IAF’s raid on Balakot, Raksha Mantri Nirmala Sitharaman asked why it took 40 days to Islamabad to take select journalists to the spot, reports Indian Express.

“First of all, they needed 40 days to take select journalists. As for the information I have - they took them to the madrassa that was never attacked, touched and that was never part of the scheme. On a guided tour, they took the journalists to every place but where the suicide bombers were trained. Albeit the exteriors are shown, the question as to what happened inside is never answered. Let them do whatever whitewashing, they can take as many people as possible” said Sitharaman.

Reacting to a question over Pakistan’s PM Imran Khan’s statement on peace talks standing a better chance should Modi be re-elected, the Raksha Mantri said that the opposition always gets excited over these statements. She added that the Congress needs to explain what happened to Mani Shankar Aiyar’s appeals in Pakistan to remove Modi.

She added that nationalism has been emphasised since the Jana Sangh days and that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered the surgical strikes, something which should have been done immediately after the 26/11 terror attack.

“The PM took a firm call that we are not going to tolerate terrorism emanating from Pakistan anymore and hence the recent assertions” the minister elaborated.