Questioning media reports that claimed that 300 to 350 people died in the air strikes, she also asked whether the bombs missed the target. (PTI File Photo)
 
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday asked whether the air strikes by the Indian Air Force (IAF) on terror camps in Pakistan resulted in any casualties at all.
 
Questioning media reports that claimed that 300 to 350 people died in the air strikes, she also asked whether the bombs missed the target.
 
“From day one I am hearing especially on national TV channels that 300-350 people have died in the air strike. We want to know how many people actually died.
 
Did anyone die at all? Where were the bombs dropped? Were the bombs dropped at the right place?” Mamata said while speaking to reporters at the State Secretariat.
 
Citing reports by international media, the chief minister pointed out that some of them have said that no such incident took place and there were no casualties.
 
“I am saying this on the basis of media reports. I have read reports in the New York Times and have seen reports by Reuters.
 
They are saying that no such incidents took place. The bombs fell in some other place and missed the target. Some of them are saying that only one person died,” she said.
 
The chief minister also said that the armed forces should be given the opportunity to tell the truth.
 
“So what is the truth? We are totally with our forces. But even then we want that the forces should be given an opportunity to tell the truth. The people of the country should know the truth,” said the chief minister.
 
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of not holding any meeting with Opposition parties after the terror attack on CRPF jawans in Pulwama and the air strike on terror camps in Pakistan she further questioned the reports regarding casualties in the air strike.
 
“There is a media war going on. Till date the prime minister has not held a single meeting with Opposition parties neither after the Pulwama incident nor after air strike which is being talked about now. I can ask how many people died in the air strike? Who died? What actually happened?,” she said.
 
The chief minister also said that she does not want any war for the sake of politics.
 
“We don’t want war for the sake of politics. If war takes place in the interests of the country then our full support is with the country. We don’t want war for political interests and for winning an election. We want peace,” she said.
 
She further claimed that even after incidents of attack on the armed forces such as the one in Uri and Pathankot, the Centre did not take any concrete action.
 
“So many jawans died. The government had advisory. But even then it did not take necessary precaution. And then all of a sudden TV channels are being unilaterally fed with information. I want to know why the people of the country are being misled like this?” she said.