Don't get influenced by statements made by Pakistan or anti-national people: Ramdev

Yog Guru Ramdev on Tuesday opined that those who are raising questions over the air strike carried out by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Pakistan are "free to take citizenship in some other country." "The people who don’t respect and feel proud of our nation have the choice to take citizenship in any other country,” he told ANI.

Ramdev, while advising people to refrain from making such comments, also said that people shouldn’t get influenced by "fabricated statements" made by Pakistan or "anti-national people" who claimed that there were no casualties in the air strike. "Those people are actually betraying the country," he added.

He also asserted that it is not the right time to raise doubts on the central government or defence forces. "By doubting our forces, they are giving our enemies a chance to defame India," he said. “Our forces and government have information that around 280 mobiles were active at the time of the air strike in Pakistani territory. So why can’t we trust the statements made by our government and defence forces?” Ramdev asked.

Taking a jibe at the Opposition, he said, “Elections and politics are just a small part of the nation’s system, but it becomes clear that who stands for and against the nation. Accordingly, people will cast their votes.” India carried out air strikes in Balakot in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province less than two weeks after Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed attacked a CRPF convoy in Pulwama in which as many as 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives.

Hours after the air raid, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale had told the media that the IAF fighters hit the largest militant camp of JeM in Balakot and “a large number of JeM terrorists, trainers, senior commanders were eliminated” in it.

(With inputs from agencies.)