Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Monday warned that "Pakistan would not hesitate to use its nuclear arsenal against India".
He said if Pakistan felt it was losing out against India in a conventional war, Pakistan would use nukes against the country. The Capt’s comment comes at a time when strategic experts maintain its time to call Pakistan’s nuke threat a bluff.
Capt, however, asserted that neither country could afford a full-scale war. The CM pointed out that both India and Pakistan were nuclear powers and it was not in either country’s interest to use the weapons of destruction. “But Islamabad could indulge in such a misadventure if faced with defeat in other battles,” he said on Monday.
While the CM tried to play down the growing rhetoric on the number of terrorists killed in the air strike, he said: "whether it was one killed or 100, the message had gone out loud and clear that India will not let the killing of its innocent soldiers and citizens go unpunished."
Sidhu differs
However, Capt’s cabinet colleague and Punjab minister Navjot Singh Sidhu maintained a contrarian view. Sidhu courted another controversy of sorts after he Tweeted, “300 terrorists dead, Yes or No? What was the purpose then? Were you uprooting terrorists or trees? Was it an election gimmick? Deceit possesses our land in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. Stop politicising the army, it is as sacred as the state.”
Sidhu’s comments have invited severe criticism from the opposition parties. Former cricketer Sidhu’s popularity on micro-blogging site Twitter leaves behind all political leaders. Sidhu crossed 5.30 lakh follower mark on Monday. He has the maximum number of followers among all politicians across party lines in Punjab.