The Election Commission of India (ECI) is “keeping a watch” on the developments in the country following the Pulwama terror strike of February 14 and India’s response yesterday in decimating terror cells operating from Pakistan through air strikes.
Speaking to the media in Mumbai, Election Commissioner of India Ashok Lavasa said that ECI monitors developments which take place in the country in the run up to the election, adding that the Commission was “duty-bound” to carry out the ‘mandate which has been given by the Constitution’.
The Election Commissioner was responding to queries from the media in Mumbai on whether the Pulwama attack and the resultant air-strikes carried out by the Indian Air Force would impact the schedule of the elections.
On February 14, more than 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel had been killed when a suicide bomber deployed by the Jaish-e-Mohammed had driven an explosive-laden car into the convoy carrying the paramilitary jawans on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.
After the JeM claimed responsibility for the terror strike, India carried out “non-military pre-emptive air strikes” in the early hours of Tuesday to decimate terrorist camps across the Line of Control.
According to the government, acting upon “credible intelligence”, the air-strikes were carried out as the terror cells were planning more attacks on the Indian soil.
