Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday faced ridicule for going ahead with the Balakot airstrike on the mistaken belief that cloudy skies would help Indian air force evade radar.
In a television interview broadcast Saturday, Modi said he used his “raw wisdom” in the operation, believing Indian aircraft would benefit from the cloud cover. “I said there is so much cloud and rain. There is a benefit,” Modi said in the interview. “(I thought) the clouds can benefit us too. We can escape the radar… Ultimately I said there are clouds, let’s go,” he added.
The opposition mocked Modi’s apparent lack of understanding of surveillance radar signals, which can easily pass through clouds, and for ignoring experts’ advice to delay the operation until the weather cleared.
Ajai Shukla, a military expert, tweeted that India should hang its head in shame for Modi perceiving that “cloud cover would help the aircraft” leave Pakistan’s air space without detection. India’s staggered national elections are underway with the last day of voting set for May 19. Results are expected four days later.
Modi has used the airstrike as a major election issue to project strength in dealing with Pakistan.
Omar Abdullah, the opposition National Conference leader, tweeted sarcastically that “Pakistani radar doesn’t penetrate clouds. This is an important piece of tactical information that will be critical when planning future strikes.”
The strike came days after a suicide attack on Indian paramilitary forces in the Indian-controlled portion of disputed Kashmir that killed 40 soldiers. Modi said the Indian air force hit a training camp run by the militant group that claimed responsibility for the assault. Pakistan rejected India’s claim that the air strike caused heavy casualties at the site.
“National security is not something to be trifled with. Such an irresponsible statement from Modi is highly damaging. Somebody like him can’t remain India’s prime minister,” said Sitaram Yechury, a top Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader. “It seems no one clarified (to) the PM how radars work,” tweeted Salman Soz, a senior member of the opposition Congress party. “If that is the case, it is a very serious national security issue. No laughing matter!”
Social media jibes came thick and fast. One widely-shared internet meme featured a still from the blockbuster ‘Avengers’ film franchise with Modi superimposed among the superheroes.
Twitter users also had a field day over Modi’s claim that he sent digital pictures as an email attachment in the late 1980s. “I am likely the first person to use digital camera in India in 1987 or 88. Only a few people had emails then,” Modi had said in the same interview. In reality, the first email attachment wasn’t sent until 1992 by researcher Nathaniel Borenstein.
“The joke is not on Modi,” tweeted academic and columnist Nissim Mannathukkaren. “The joke is on the “educated” elite/middle class supporters of Modi who have made idiocy and ignorance fashionable.”