Cong feels BJP losing perception battle

The Congress believes that the BJP is losing the perception battle on the Balakot air strikes.

After an internal survey revealed that people were unhappy with the saffron party for politicising the Pulwama terror attack, the Congress went all out in its attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the top BJP leadership, with many Congress leaders even seeking proof of casualties of the Balakot air strikes.

“The voter surveys that I have carried out, it is very clear to me that while a majority of the people appreciate India’s response, the Air Force response, the IAF response. More than 80% did not like the politicisation,” Praveen Chakravarthy, Chairman of the AICC Data Analytics Department, told DH here.

Chakravarthy said more than 90% of the 1.4 lakh respondents felt that the BJP was politicising Balakot air strikes.

The Data Analytics Department carries out surveys regularly to assess the mood of the voters and shares the inputs with the Congress leadership that aids decision-making.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi had briefly suspended political attacks on the Modi government in the aftermath of the February 26 air strikes in Balakot. However, after a couple of days, the Congress stepped up its attack on the Modi government, accusing it of politicising the terror strikes.

“I had read in a newspaper that the family members of the CRPF martyrs had raised this demand (for proof of air strikes). It is their feeling and Congress leaders have raised this matter. It is the demand of the CRPF families, they are saying we are hurt and show us what actually happened,” Rahul said at a press conference here on Thursday.