Srinagar: Former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Wednesday said the air strikes against a terror camp in Pakistan will help the Bharatiya Janata Party win more than 22 seats in the state in the Lok Sabha elections, PTI reported.

India on Tuesday said it had carried out “non-military preemptive” strikes on the biggest camp of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed militant across the border. The Jaish-e-Mohammed had claimed responsibility for the February 14 terror attack in Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir in which 40 jawans of the Central Reserve Police Force were killed.

“For the first time in forty years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s bravery has resulted in Pakistan learning a lesson,” Yeddyurappa, who is the state BJP chief, said in Chitradurga, according to The News Minute. “When 42 of our soldiers were martyred, PM Modi had said he would extract revenge for the deaths of each soldier. With the preemptive strike, he has kept his promise.”

Yeddyurappa said the wind was “increasingly blowing in favour of the BJP” and the air strikes have led to a “pro-Modi wave” in the country. “I heard this morning [Wednesday] that our forces have shot down a Pakistani aircraft. If you see, people are rejoicing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s move and they are celebrating. The impact of this strike will help BJP win more than 22 seats in the state,” he said. The state has 28 seats in the Lok Sabha.

Yeddyurappa said Narendra Modi will be the prime minister for a second term with a full majority after the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, reported The New Indian Express.

At present, BJP holds 16 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, while Congress has 10 and Janata Dal (Secular) two.

State Congress chief Dinesh Gundu Rao termed Yeddyurappa’s statement “disgusting, shameful and irresponsible”. “Using the J&K situation for political benefit,” he said. “Is winning elections becoming the criteria for BJP [and] not the security of India. Is going to war a electoral strategy for the BJP.”

Courtesy The New Indian Express.

Mumbai, Feb 28 (PTI) The benchmark BSE Sensex opened on a positive note Thursday amid buying by domestic as well as foreign institutional investors ahead of February derivatives expiry.

Investors, however, were cautious on concerns over the tension between India and Pakistan .

The 30-share index was trading higher by 81.45 points, or 0.23 per cent, to 35,986.88. The gauge had lost 308 points in the previous two sessions.

The NSE Nifty too was trading in the green, up 35.35 points, or 0.33 per cent, at 10,842.

Major gainers that supported key indices were Coal India, Bharti Airtel, ONGC, Sun Pharma, PowerGrid, Asian Paint, RIL, Infosys, ICICI Bank, IndusInd Bank, SBI, Tata Motors, Yes Bank, HUL, HDFC Bank and Vedanta, rising up to 1.42 per cent.

According to Sunil Sharma, Chief Investment Officer, Sanctum Wealth Management, while attacks on the India Pakistan border and war-like situation continue to make headlines, Indian markets have been resilient.

“Clearly, the market appears to be suggesting that things will subside as both sides do not appear to want an escalation. 

“The flip side of the event is that investors seem to be recognizing a greater likelihood of a victory for the current regime in upcoming elections; with the follow-on implication that while the near term may be fraught with tensions and a fear of escalation, the medium term picture is possibly clarifying in terms of election outcome and that’s a positive for the market,” he said. 

Investors are covering their pending short positions on the last trading session of February futures and options (F&O) expiry in the derivatives segment, brokers said.

Market is also awaiting GDP numbers and fiscal deficit data scheduled for release later in the day.

Meanwhile, foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) bought shares worth a net of Rs 423.04 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) made purchases to the tune of Rs 66.81 crore Wednesday, provisional data showed.

Elsewhere in Asia, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng gained 0.06 per cent, while Japan’s Nikkei was down 0.35 per cent in early trade Thursday. The Shanghai Composite Index fell 0.35 per cent.

The US Dow Jones Industrial Average ended 0.28 per cent lower Wednesday. 

The rupee, meanwhile, rose 10 paise to 71.14 against the US dollar in opening.

New Delhi, (PTI) CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday reacted strongly to the BJP’s critique of the joint statement by the Opposition, saying that it was time for the Centre to introspect.

“It is time for the Modi govt to introspect on the statement by 21 Opposition parties. Do not undermine India’s fight against militancy for partisan benefits,” Yechury tweeted.

He alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders were going about their day as usual even amidst the prevailing security scenario.

“BJP leaders have been doing election rallies, (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi has been attending party events, when CRPF men were killed or when Pakistani jets were being taken on by our brave pilots,” the Left leader added.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley appealed to the Opposition parties to introspect their statement, saying it is being used by Pakistan to bolster their case.

In a joint statement, twenty-one Opposition parties expressed “deep anguish” over what they alleged was “blatant politicisation” of the sacrifices of the armed forces and urged the Centre to take the nation into confidence on all measures to protect India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity.