Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan claimed that the government took too long to respond to the Pulwama attack. He also asked why Pakistan did not hold funeral for those killed in the Balakot air strike, in which India claimed it had struck a Jaish-e-Mohammad camp. India struck the camp in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa after a Jaish-e-Mohammad attack killed 40 Central Reserve Police Force personnel in Kashmir’s Pulwama on February 14.

In an interview to Hindustan Times that was published on Thursday, Khan said, “Had I been the prime minister, I would not have taken more than 40 seconds to respond.” He added, “I am not questioning our government on the attacks in Pakistan. Rather, I want to know from Pakistan why no funerals were held for over 300 persons who, according to the Bharatiya Janata Party, were killed in Indian airstrikes.”

The Rampur MLA is contesting his first Lok Sabha election from his home turf. He will stand against former Rampur MP Jaya Prada, who joined the BJP on Tuesday. Khan said the Samajwadi Party has a considerable vote base in the district. “It doesn’t matter who contests from the BJP, because the party has lost the trust of the public,” he told the Hindustan Times. He said the alliance of Samajwadi Party and Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party will fetch at least 65-70 seats in the state.