New Delhi: Most Indian political parties congratulated the Indian air force (IAF) for conducting a successful strike on the militant group Jaish-e-Mohammad’s training camp in Balakot, Pakistan on Tuesday.While the BJP naturally showered praises for the government and the IAF, the opposition, too, commended the defence forces for carrying out a successful operation.The BJP president Amit Shah said, “I congratulate India’s defence forces for their bravery. I salute them. After today’s airstrike, it has been re-established that India is safe under prime minister Narendra Modi’s strong and decisive leadership.” भारत की जाबांज सेना को उनकी बहादुरी और वीरता के लिए बधाई देता हूँ और उन्हें सलाम करता हूँ।आज की कार्रवाई ने यह पुनः साबित किया है कि प्रधानमंत्री श्री @narendramodi जी के मजबूत और निर्णायक नेतृत्व में भारत सुरक्षित है।— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 26, 2019He went on to add, “Today’s action shows a new India’s will and determination. This new India, under no circumstance, will neither tolerate nor forgive terrorism, terrorists and those who shelter them.”आज की यह कार्रवाई नये भारत की इच्छाशक्ति और संकल्प को दर्शाती है।यह नया भारत किसी भी सूरत में आतंकवाद को बर्दाश्त नहीं करेगा और न ही आतंकवादियों और उनके संरक्षकों को माफ करेगा।— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 26, 2019Most senior BJP leaders, too, took to social media to congratulate the union government under Modi and the defence forces for such a decisive action. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also posted his picture with security personnel. Overwhelmed and inspired by the extraordinary courage of our armed forces, particularly the #IndianAirForce, I could not stop myself from getting a picture clicked with the security personnel on duty at circuit house Indore. pic.twitter.com/fLr2ePcbMv— Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) February 26, 2019Curiously, however, the Delhi chief of BJP, Manoj Tiwari said that he was awake till 4:30 am in the morning as he was in tears because he was worried about the safety of Indian pilots. “I was awake until 4:30 am even though some people tracked on WhatsApp and asked why I was awake. I was awake because something was happening that this country was waiting for,” he told ABP news. When asked whether he knew about the covert operation, he deflected the question by saying, “Sir, I have not been able to sleep since Pulwama attack. When I sensed (about air strikes) in the night, I had tears in my eyes because it was important for our soldiers to return back even though they entered Pakistan in fighter planes. And this is the moment, when I also salute Narendra Modi.”His statements soon evoked reactions on social media, with people asking whether BJP leaders knowing about this sensitive operation before hand amounted to a security breach. BJP MP @ManojTiwariMP, a communal scum & shame to Bihar, claims he knew about #Balakot attack. Whoever did security breach of sensitive operation stands agnst Security of India. Both this MP & secret information leaker must be prosecuted. @DefenceMinIndia https://t.co/sqJ1cmxt5y— Garga Chatterjee (@GargaC) February 26, 2019Opposition’s responsesA host of Congress leaders were quick to react on social media immediately after reports about the airstrike started coming in.The Congress president Rahul Gandhi, in his short message, paid his respect to the pilots of IAF. I salute the pilots of the IAF.— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 26, 2019The chief spokesperson of the party Randeep Surjewala commended the IAF’s bravery. वायु सेना के जाबाँज रणबांकुरों को नमन।नभः स्पृशं दीप्तम्।https://t.co/YjN5KMnVzf— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) February 26, 2019While congratulating the IAF, former union minister and senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor cautioned against the unnecessary politicisation of the airstrike. “The unseemly gloating of some crediting one party or leader is ahistorical and unwise,” he said, adding that India fights wars, not the Congress or BJP. Every Indian is proud of our armed forces. We must resist any attempt to drag us into political quarrels on this. Country always comes before party. The unseemly gloating of some crediting one party or leader is ahistorical&unwise.Neither Congress nor BJP fight wars — India does.— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) February 26, 2019The Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal’s chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who has emerged as one of the most aggressive opposition leaders in recent times and had recently criticised the prime minister for using the Pulwama attack for political gains, had this to say:IAF also means India’s Amazing Fighters. Jai Hind— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) February 26, 2019The Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Tejashwi Yadav said, “We salute bravery of our pilots and Air Force. We are blessed and proud of out forces. Jai Hind.”Similarly Akhilesh Yadav of Samajwadi Party, Andhra Pradesh chief minister and Telugu Desam chief N. Chandrababu Naidu, and the chief minister of Delhi and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal also congratulated the IAF. Kejriwal even announced that he has postponed his indefinite hunger strike planned from 1 March to demand full statehood for Delhi. In view of prevailing Indo Pak situation, I am postponing my upwas for full statehood of Delhi. We all stand as one nation today.— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 26, 2019Among those who sent out measured responses were leaders from Kashmir, Omar Abdullah of the National Conference and Mehbooba Mufti, former ally of the BJP and People’s Democratic Party chief. Abdullah, a stakeholder in the multi-decade long Kashmir conflict, termed the airstrike as a “totally new ballgame”.We’ve entered a whole new paradigm with the Balakote air strike. The post Uri strike was to avenge our losses, Balakote was a “preemptive strike to prevent an imminent JeM attack”. Totally new ballgame.— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 26, 2019A number of firsts from Balakote, the two most obvious are the first time air power has been used to strike in side Pakistan during peace times (last time in 1971 was during war) & first time visible, acknowledged use of force to preempt a perceived terror strike.— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 26, 2019He went on to demand that the union government should now ensure the safety of those families who stay along the LoC. “Now we have an obligation to ensure that our people living near the international border and line of control are not caught in any Pakistani response. Local administrations need to be ready to evacuate and rehouse people to safe areas if situation escalates,” he tweeted, adding that he has already asked his party members to assist vulnerable families. He went on to appeal for peace in the region, saying that war will not resolve disputes. JeM hit Indian forces & claimed the attack. In turn Indian forces hit JeM & owned that air strike. It’s now time for cooler heads to prevail. War is never an ideal option to resolve disputes. Let’s go back to the India-Saudi joint statement of last week.— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 26, 2019He also took the opportunity to caution the BJP against any aggression.For all those looking at today’s air strikes through a political/electoral prism it might be worth remembering that PM Vajpayee went in to the 1999 elections with nuclear tests AND victory in Kargil under his belt & still only returned to power with a coalition.— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 26, 2019Mufti questioned the politically-motivated war hysteria following the Pulwama attack. She has been severely critical of multiple attacks Kashmiris have had to face by right-wing groups across different parts of India after the Pulwama incident.In a series of tweets, she made her views against any form of escalation clear. Post pre dawn strikes carried out by IAF, conflicting reports coming in. Official communique by FS claims that terror training camps were bombed while Pak denied this & said that the planes made a hasty retreat after being spotted. Hope objective of both sides has been served.— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 26, 2019Since Pak has claimed that no casualties were reported despite IAF violating LoC ,they should adopt a reconciliatory stand as opposed to further escalation. Or else, an already volatile situation will spiral out of control and as usual Kashmiris will be the biggest casualties.— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 26, 2019Yes and it stands true. Can only hope and pray that good sense prevails soon. How much more will J&K suffer? Kitni der tak hum khamyaza bhugte gain? https://t.co/xUwdGsTl8E— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 26, 2019Agree. The only thing worse is disagreeing with war mongers and then being at the receiving end by being asked to prove ones sense of patriotism. In which world does an aversion to senseless bloodshed make you a traitor? https://t.co/Ux0trLtfhs— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 26, 2019Pulwama attacks has undoubtedly vitiated the nation’s atmosphere. People are baying for blood & want revenge. But lets not forget violence begets violence. Having said that in which part of the world does advocating peace and not wanting senseless violence make one a traitor?— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 26, 2019If my aversion to unnecessary retaliation & subsequent war makes gullible people question my nationalism then so be it. I would rather bat for peace & save lives than sacrifice countless ones just to satisfy collective egos and misplaced sense of pride & patriotism.— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 26, 2019Todays IAF strikes were followed by mass war hysteria on twitter & news channels. Most of these people are ignorant who have suspended the use of common sense. But its disconcerting that educated privileged people are cheering on at the prospect of a war. This is true jahaalat.— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) February 26, 2019Among the leaders from Hindi-speaking areas, only Mayawati, the Bahujan Samaj Party chief, pointed out that intelligence failures of the Modi government during the Pulwama attack were responsible for such a national security crisis. She welcomed the IAF strike and applauded the bravery of the defence forces.IAF strike destroying terrorist camps across LoC is welcome action. Salute & respect to their bravery. PM Modi gave free hand to Army only after Pulwama attack. Had it been earlier Pathankot, Uri & Pulwama like tragedy & loss of precious lives of jawans could have been averted.— Mayawati (@Mayawati) February 26, 2019TMC supporter Garga Chatterjee applauded Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), which manufactured the Mirage-2000 fighter jets. He took aim at the Modi government for neglecting the public sector unit in favour of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence Limited in the controversial Rafale deal. Congrats to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for building Mirage 2000 here in India which were crucial to #Balakot airstrikes. This same #HAL, a govt org, was kicked out by @narendramodi & gave Ambani’s Reliance the Rafale deal. BJP & Dhokla Mafia a national security problem.— Garga Chatterjee (@GargaC) February 26, 2019