By Alasdair Pal and Rajendra Jadhav
NEW DELHI / MUMBAI (Reuters) – Indian opposition parties on Monday called for an investigation into gossip from a top TV anchor who they say is aware of airstrikes by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government against Pakistan in 2019 .
Arnab Goswami, editor-in-chief of the Republic TV network, told a TV rating agency that India would launch a “larger-than-normal strike” on its arch-enemy – three days before Indian fighter jets hit alleged militant targets it on Pakistani soil.
The raid brought the two nations to the brink of war.
“Over Pakistan, the government is confident that it will strike in a way that will make people happy,” said a transcript of the messages sent by Goswami. “Exact words used.”
The messages, reported by the Indian media and seen by Reuters, are part of a indictment filed by the Mumbai police, which is investigating the alleged fixing of ratings by Republicans.
Goswami denied prior knowledge of the airstrikes, which were denied weeks after an attack by Pakistan-based Islamic militants on an Indian paramilitary convoy in the Pulwama district in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir.
“India’s intention to strike Pakistan back after the Pulwama attack was an official statement,” he said in a statement released by Republic.
“There is no doubt among any nationalist Indian that we will strike back,” he added, accusing opposition parties of acting as a ‘mouthpiece’ for Pakistan.
India’s defense and foreign ministry spokespersons did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the transcripts.
Republic has often taken positions that support the Modi government and Goswami is known for his aggressive attacks on the opposition in his first-hour program, one of the country’s most watched.
India’s largest opposition party in Congress, as well as Shiv Sena, a regional party that governs the state of Maharashtra where the TV channel is based, both called for a government inquiry into the messages.
Shashi Tharoor, a lawmaker from Congress, said the messages required “serious investigation” by the Modi government, which made national security a top priority.
The messages rekindled tensions with Pakistan, and Islamabad’s Foreign Ministry said the transcripts showed the strikes were designed to coincide with a general election that Modi a few months later with a major won victory.
(Reporting by Alasdair Pal in New Delhi and Rajendra Jadhav in Mumbai; Edited by Sanjeev Miglani and Mark Heinrich)