Congress was in mourning after Balakot air strike: Amit Shah
Nagpur: BJP president Amit Shah Tuesday targeted the Congress, saying when the whole country was rejoicing over the air strikes on a terror camp in Balakot, there was mourning only in Pakistan and the Rahul Gandhi-led party.
Addressing a rally here, he said the Modi government's biggest success was that it had made India secure which was not the case when the Congress-led UPA was in power.
"During the UPA rule, there would be no response to terror attacks. After the Pulwama terror attack, there was anger and despondency all over.
"But, the present government is not that of `mauni baba' (silent PM) Manmohan Singh. On the 13th day of the Pulwama attack, the IAF (Indian Air Force) went deep inside Pakistan and destroyed terror camps," Shah said.
"When the country was rejoicing (over the air strikes), there was mourning only in Pakistan and Rahul Gandhi -led Congress. When 40 jawans are martyred, should we not bomb the perpetrators of the Pulwama attack," he asked.
Hitting out at the Congress president, he said, "Rahul baba .. you can do ILU ILU with terrorists, but we will give "eent ka jawab patthar se" (a resolute and befitting reply)."
Shah also accused the Congress of maligning Hindus by coining words like "Hindu terror and saffron terror".
Shah was campaigning for Union minister and BJP leader Nitin Gadkari, who is pitted against Nana Patole of the Congress in the Nagpur Lok Sabha constituency, which goes to the polls on April 11.
Shah said the Congress did not find a nominee against Gadkari and hence it had to "import" its candidate from outside.
Patole had won the 2014 Lok Sabha election on a BJP ticket from the Bhandara-Gondiya seat in Vidarbha. He quit the the BJP in 2017 and later joined the Congress.
Patole was earlier an MLA of the Congress.
During his speech, Shah also listed the promises made in the BJP manifesto for farmers and traders, among other sections of the society.
Nagpur is among the seven Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra that will vote on April 11. Tuesday was the last day of campaigning in these parliamentary seats.
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East, central and northwest India to witness more heatwave days than usual: IMD
New Delhi (PTI): Some parts of east, central and northwest India, along with the southeast Peninsula, are likely to see more heatwave days than usual between April and June, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its monthly forecast on Tuesday.
During these months, maximum temperatures are expected to be normal to below normal over many parts of the country, except most parts of east and northeast India and eastern parts of central India and adjoining peninsular regions, where above-normal maximum temperatures are expected.
"During the hot season (April-May-June), above-normal minimum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country, except some regions of Maharashtra and Telangana, where normal to below normal minimum temperatures are likely," said the IMD.
The department also stated that in April, monthly maximum temperatures are likely to be normal to below normal over many parts of the country.
However, above-normal maximum temperatures are expected over many parts of east and northeast India and some parts of northwest India and southern peninsular India during the month.
Also, above-normal monthly minimum temperatures are most likely over most parts of India, except for some isolated pockets in the southern peninsula, where normal minimum temperatures are expected during April.
The rainfall during April 2026, averaged over the country as a whole, is most likely to be above normal.
"Normal to above-normal rainfall is likely over most parts of the country except Northeast India. Below-normal rainfall is expected over many parts of northeastern India," the IMD said.
