Postpone mega video-conference, energy should be spent on getting pilot back: Kejriwal to Modi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Thursday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to postpone his mega video-conference with BJP workers, saying the nation's energy must be spent on getting the IAF pilot back from Pakistan's custody.

Under the BJP's 'Mera Booth Sabse Mazboot', Modi is slated to have direct dialogue through the "world's largest video conference" with about a crore BJP workers, volunteers and others at noon on Thursday.

In a tweet, Kejriwal also asked the prime minister to "sternly" deal with Pakistan.

"I wud urge the PM to postpone this. At this moment, we as a nation, need to spend all our energies and time to get the IAF pilot back safely andto sternly deal wid Pak (sic)," he wrote on the microblogging site while the sharing BJP's announcement of the programme on Twitter.

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 that sparked fears of war.

IAF sources identified the pilot as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh on Wednesday had taken a dig at the BJP and Prime Minister Modi for the mega video-conference amid heightened tensions with Pakistan.

"Entire Opposition is concerned over national security. (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal postponed his hunger strike over full-statehood issue. Congress cancelled its CWC and the Opposition is worrying about unity of the nation. Modi-ji is getting down to strengthen polling booths and the BJP is busy with election rallies," Singh had tweeted.

The Rajya Sabha MP's response came to a tweet by the Delhi unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about the event to be held on Thursday. It said party chief Amit Shah and other leaders would participate in the programme at the Delhi BJP office here.