PM Modi hits back on oppn ,asks to use Common Sense

New Delhi, March 4: Asking opposition parties to use common sense, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday slammed them for questioning his statement that the presence of Rafale fighter jets would have given greater firepower to the Indian Air Force during the February 27 aerial engagement with Pakistan.

IAF chief Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa declined to comment on the prime minister's statement that Rafale jets would have a made a difference.

"I said if Rafale was acquired in time it would have made a difference (during the February 27 dogfight), but they (opposition parties) say Modi is questioning our air force strike," Modi said, addressing a gathering in Jamnagar.

"Please use common sense. What I said was if we had Rafale at the time (of aerial dogfight), then none of our fighter jets would have gone down and none of theirs saved," he added.

India lost one MiG 21 jet during the fierce dogfight in which one F-16 warplane of Pakistan Air Force(PAF) was also shot down.

"If they(opposition) don't understand me what can I do. They have their own limitations," he told the audience during his 40-minute speech rendered in Gujarati.

Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa told reporters in Coimbatore that the Rafale fighters should come into India's inventory by September.

"Yes, we have a plan for inducting new aircraft and that is why we have signed the contract for 36 Rafale jets."

Eventually, Jaguar, MiG-29, and Mirage 2000 aircraft will be replaced by Tejas Mk-2 and then the 'next step' will be on Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft, he said.

When an adversary attacks you, every aircraft is used, Air Chief Marshal Dhanoa said, adding that the MiG 21 jet used in the dog fight with Pakistan is an upgraded aircraft with the advanced weapons system.

"The MiG 21 Bison is in our inventory, why not use it?... I will not comment on the ongoing operation because they are still ongoing. MIG-21 Bison is capable.

"It has been upgraded... It has got a better weapons system, better radars, better air-to-air missiles... whatever it takes to make it from the third generation to 3.5 generation (aircraft) or so," said the IAF chief.