'Congress hates armed forces': BJP slams Chavan's 'Operation Sindoor' remarks
What's the story
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has slammed former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan for his remarks on the Indian Air Force and "Operation Sindoor." The BJP accused the Congress party of "hating Indian Armed Forces." Chavan had said, "On the first day (of Operation Sindoor), we were completely defeated. In the half-hour aerial engagement that took place on the 7th, we were fully defeated, whether people accept it or not. Indian aircraft were shot down."
Military debate
Chavan questions necessity of large military forces
Chavan also questioned the need for a large military force, arguing that future wars would be fought in the air. He said that during "Operation Sindoor," there was no ground movement of military forces. The operation was launched on May 7 after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which killed 26 people.
Counter-terrorism operation
Operation Sindoor: India's response to Pahalgam terror attack
"Operation Sindoor" targeted the terrorist infrastructure of Jaish-e-Mohammad and Lashkar-e-Taiba in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The Indian military has maintained that over 100 terrorists were killed during the operation. However, reports during a seminar claimed that Indian fighter jets were shot down during the operation, which India refuted as "taken out of context," and misrepresented "the intention and thrust" of the presentation.
Combat scenario
Air Marshal comments on combat losses
Indian military officers held a press conference where Air Marshal AK Bharti acknowledged that "losses are a part of any combat scenario." He refrained from confirming or denying the claims, stating all pilots returned safely. Earlier in October, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Amar Preet Singh confirmed India downed five Pakistani jets during "Operation Sindoor."