SP slams PM's mega video-conference amid escalating tension with Pakistan

Lucknow: Samajwadi Party President Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday lashed out at the BJP for going ahead with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to party workers through a mega video-conference amid escalating tension with Pakistan.

Prime Minister Modi Thursday interacted with over 1 crore BJP workers and volunteers from 15,000 locations across the country in what the party claims is the "world's largest video conference". In a tweet, the SP chief said, "When the entire nation is standing along with the government as an Indian rising above politics, BJP is going to make a record of contact with booth level workers ..Even the BJP supporters are ashamed of this."

"The situation could be very bad but this suited-booted BJP will continue with its festivities...Condemnable," he said. An IAF pilot was captured by Pakistan after an air combat Wednesday during which the two sides said they shot down each other's warplanes that followed an unsuccessful attempt to target Indian military installations in retaliatory strikes.

In another tweet, the SP chief said. "It has been nearly 24 hrs since our pilot has gone missing. On the other hand 6 brave IAF personnel lost their lives in a helicopter crash. The nation is praying. We're all waiting with baited breath but not a word from out leadership.The silence is deafening."