A day after former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan triggered a major controversy with his remarks on Operation Sindoor, the senior Congress leader on Wednesday called for a fair inquiry into the events in Pahalgam on April 22 and for details related to Operation Sindoor to be made public.
Chavan also refused to apologise for his comments, saying, “I have the right to ask questions, why should I apologise?" The Congress stands defiant amid a raging row with the ruling BJP, criticising the Congress for insulting the military.
He claimed his remarks were being misrepresented to divert public attention from the nuclear privatisation bill, the SHANTI Bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
What Prithviraj Chavan said about Operation Sindoor
The controversy erupted after the former Chief Minister alleged that India was defeated on the first day of Operation Sindoor and that Indian aircraft were shot down during the 4 day conflict.
Addressing a press conference in Pune, Chavan 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."
Nobody has right to insult Indian Armed Forces: BJP hits back
Senior BJP leader and Union minister Giriraj Singh tore into the Congress leader over his remarks, saying no one has the right to insult the valour of the Armed Forces.
"Those who do so can never think of the nation’s interest....It has become Congress’s habit to insult the Armed Forces," he added.
How Congress responded
The Congress responded swiftly, with the party’s Rajya Sabha MP Pramod Tiwari praising the Indian Army as a “world conquering force” while taking a swipe at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi by adding that it achieved this “under the political leadership of Indira Gandhi.”
Operation Sindoor
Operation Sindoor was India’s military response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir. During the operation, 9 terrorist bases in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir were destroyed. This was followed by a counterattack that did not breach India’s missile defence systems.
Pakistan launched hundreds of armed drones and missiles targeting Indian military bases and civilian areas, but these were intercepted or disabled. The few that managed to land caused little or no damage.
Pakistan also lost at least 4 fighter jets, including United States made F 16s and Chinese J 17s, Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said in October. He added that India carried out precision strikes that disabled radar systems, command and control centres, and key military infrastructure such as runways and hangars.
