New Delhi, February 28: Minister of State for External Affairs and Retired Army Chief General VK Singh has hit out at his own party man and former Karnataka chief minister BS Yeddyurappa for seeking votes citing Indian Air Force (IAF) strikes on Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) camps in Pakistan. Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yeddyurappa had said that the IAF strike has led to a pro-Modi wave and will help his party win 22 seats in the state in Lok Sabha Elections 2019. IAF Strike Resulted in Pro-Modi Wave, Will Help BJP Win Over 22 Seats in Lok Sabha Elections 2019: BS Yeddyurappa.

To this, General (Retd) VK Singh has tweeted, "Yeddyurappa ji, I beg to differ. We stand as one nation, action taken by our government is to safeguard our nation and ensure the safety of our citizens, not to win a few extra seats." He went on to say that late former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's 1996 speech in Parliament "highlights the Modi government's position".

Gen (Retd) VK Singh's Tweet on BSY's Remark

Reports say that there are rumblings within the BJP on Yeddyurappa's statement. "The atmosphere....day by day the wind is increasingly blowing in favour of the BJP. Yesterday's (Tuesday's) action of destroying terror hideouts by entering inside Pakistan has resulted in a pro-Modi wave in the country, the results of which can be seen in coming Lok Sabha polls," Yeddyurappa said on Wednesday.

"It has enthused youths; all this will help us in winning more than 22 Lok Sabha seats (in Karnataka)," the Karnataka BJP chief added.

Yeddyurappa has been criticised by the Opposition for his comments for "politicising" the current situation between India and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to address "world's largest" video conference as part of BJP's 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot' programme.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 28, 2019 11:47 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).