Prithviraj Chavan has refused to apologise for his Operation Sindoor remarks, triggering a sharp BJP backlash accusing the Congress of undermining the armed forces.
Former Maharashtra chief minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan speaks during a press interaction. (Photo: IANS)
Senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday refused to apologise for his remarks on Operation Sindoor, asserting that the Constitution gives him the right to ask questions. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, escalated its offensive, accusing the Congress of an “anti-army mindset” and demanding action against him.
Chavan, whose comments on India’s military operations sparked sharp political reactions, said there was “no question” of an apology. “Why will I apologise? It is out of the question. The Constitution gives me the right to ask questions,” he told reporters in Pune.
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His refusal triggered strong responses from BJP leaders, with party MPs and spokespersons accusing the Congress of repeatedly undermining the armed forces and national interest.
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According to news agency ANI, Chavan had claimed that India was “defeated on the first day” of Operation Sindoor and that Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day conflict with Pakistan in May.
Addressing a press conference in Pune, he alleged that the Indian Air Force was “completely grounded” due to the risk of aircraft being shot down. “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,” Chavan said.
“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,” he added.
He also questioned the need for maintaining large standing military forces, arguing that future wars would primarily be fought through air power and missiles. “Do we really need to maintain an army of 12 lakh soldiers, or can we make them do some other work?” he asked.
Reacting to Chavan’s statement, BJP MP Brij Lal strongly condemned the remarks, accusing the Congress of consistently humiliating the country. “The Congress party has always been pro-Pakistani. Their leader, Rahul Gandhi, whenever he goes abroad, insults India. The whole country is watching, and the public will teach Congress a lesson,” he said.
In Chennai, BJP national spokesperson CR Kesavan went further, likening Chavan’s remarks to those of a “third-grade” Pakistani spokesperson. He accused the Congress of deliberately maligning the armed forces and questioned why the party’s top leadership had not distanced itself from the statement.
“Why has Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi not condemned and initiated action against Prithviraj Chavan? Do they agree with his preposterous statement?” Kesavan asked, adding that the comments would “neither be forgotten nor forgiven” by the people.
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people were killed. Pakistan retaliated, leading to a four-day conflict from May 7 to May 10.
During the operation, India claimed to have killed over 100 terrorists in just 23 minutes using Rafale jets, HAMMER bombs, and SCALP missiles, reported ANI.
Claims about Indian fighter jets being shot down had surfaced after a statement attributed to a Defence Attaché. India later said that the comments made at the seminar in Indonesia were misunderstood and taken out of context, and did not reflect the actual message of the presentation.
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