New Delhi, Dec 17 Congress MP Ujjwal Raman Singh on Wednesday supported the remarks made by senior party leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Operation Sindoor, stating that the government’s silence on the issue raises serious doubts.
The lack of a clear response from the Centre suggests that "there is something fishy", but the government appears unconcerned, he said.
Singh’s comments came after Chavan claimed that India suffered a setback on the first day of Operation Sindoor and that Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day conflict.
Speaking to IANS, Singh said the matter had been discussed, but the Prime Minister and senior BJP leaders failed to offer any explanation.
"We had discussions on this issue, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not have anything to say. It is clear that neither the Prime Minister nor other BJP leaders responded to the questions raised by the Leader of the Opposition and other opposition members regarding Operation Sindoor. When the government avoids answering such serious questions, it clearly indicates that something is being hidden," Singh said.
He further alleged that the government’s reluctance to discuss the matter in the Parliament was deeply concerning.
“When information is being withheld from Parliament, it naturally raises suspicion. I would say the government is carefree and nothing seems to worry it. Instead of addressing critical national security concerns, the government is busy changing names, scrapping welfare schemes, attacking the poor, and snatching the wages of workers,” he added.
Addressing a press conference in Pune, Chavan made controversial remarks regarding Operation Sindoor, claiming that the Indian Air Force was effectively grounded due to the threat of being shot down by Pakistan. According to Chavan, the situation during the initial phase of the operation reflected a significant setback.
The Congress leader 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. The Air Force was completely grounded, and not a single aircraft flew. If any aircraft had taken off from Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa, there was a high probability of being shot down by Pakistan, which is why the Air Force was fully grounded."
Chavan also questioned the traditional structure of military preparedness, arguing that modern warfare is increasingly dominated by air and missile capabilities.
"During Operation Sindoor, there was not even a one-kilometre movement of ground forces. What unfolded over two or three days was purely an aerial and missile-based conflict. In the future as well, wars will be fought in a similar manner. In such a scenario, do we really need to maintain an army of 12 lakh soldiers, or should we consider deploying them for other purposes?” he asked.
Reports suggesting that Indian fighter jets were shot down during Operation Sindoor gained traction following a statement attributed to a Defence Attache. However, the Indian government has refuted these claims, clarifying that remarks made during a seminar in Indonesia were taken out of context and misrepresented the intent and substance of the presentation.
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 as a response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people lost their lives. Pakistan retaliated, leading to a conflict from May 7 to 10. During the Operation, India claimed to have killed over 100 terrorists in just 23 minutes using Rafale jets, SCALP missiles, and HAMMER bombs.
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