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Oppn demands independent review of India’s defence readiness after CDS admits to loss of aircraft during Op Sindoor

Opposition parties, including Congress and the TMC, have demanded a special Parliament session; Mallikarjun Kharge said, “There are some very important questions that need to be asked.”

Sindoor Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan interacts with Japan Chief of Staff, Joint Staff, JSDF, General Yoshida Yoshihide during Shangri-La Dialogue 2025, on Friday

During the interview, CDS Anil Chouhan said Islamabad's claim of downing six Indian jets was "absolutely incorrect". (Photo: ANI)

The opposition on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi-led government, accusing it of misleading the nation about the India-Pakistan conflict, following Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan’s acknowledgment of fighter jet losses during Operation Sindoor. Congress and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) demanded a special session of Parliament and called for an independent review of India’s defence preparedness, raising concerns over transparency and accountability.

The opposition pressure came moments after Gen Chauhan, in an interview to Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore, acknowledged that India faced losses in terms of its aircraft in the early stages of Operation Sindoor. “What was important is, why did these losses occur, and what we’ll do after that,” he said, declining to provide further details.

Following the statement, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote on X: “In the wake of the remarks made by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in Singapore in an interview, there are some very important questions that need to be asked. These can only be done if a special session of the Parliament is immediately convened.”

In the wake of the remarks made by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in Singapore in an interview, there are some very important questions which need to be asked.

These can only be asked if a Special Session of the Parliament is immediately convened.

The Modi Govt has misled the…

— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) May 31, 2025

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Kharge added: “The Modi Government has misled the nation. The fog of war is now clearing.” He asserted that while Indian Air Force pilots showed immense bravery, a full-scale strategic reassessment is imperative. “The Congress party demands a Comprehensive Review of our Defence Preparedness by an independent expert committee, on the lines of the Kargil Review Committee,” he said.

Questions Over Ceasefire and Trump’s Involvement

Kharge also referenced US President Donald Trump’s recurring claims about brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan. “This is a direct affront to the Shimla Agreement. Instead of clarifying Mr. Trump’s repeated assertions, and the affidavit filed by US Secretary of Commerce in the United States Court of International Trade, PM Modi is on an election blitz, taking PERSONAL CREDIT for the valour of our Armed Forces, hiding behind their bravery and dodging the contours of the agreed CEASEFIRE, which the Foreign Secretary announced on 10th, after Mr. Trump’s tweet.,” Kharge posted.

Must Read | Operation Sindoor: Three weeks later, CDS sheds new light on operations during hostilities

He questioned: “Is India and Pakistan now again hyphenated? What are the conditions of the CEASEFIRE agreement?140 crore patriotic Indians deserve to know this.”

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also raised concerns on X: “It is an extraordinary and telling commentary on Undeclared Emergency@11 that the PM will not chair all-party meetings and will not take Parliament into confidence but the nation gets to know of the first phase of Operation Sindoor through the CDS’s interview in Singapore. Couldn’t opposition leaders have been taken into confidence by the PM earlier?”

It is an extraordinary and telling commentary on Undeclared Emergency@11 that the PM will not chair all-party meetings and will not take Parliament into confidence but the nation gets to know of the first phase of Operation Sindoor through the CDS’s interview in Singapore.…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 31, 2025

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Meanwhile, Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy questioned the government’s silence on aircraft losses: “We are happy that the objectives (of Operation Sindoor) have been achieved, but the fact that the fighter aircraft were down is something that needs to be… the Government of India should stop denying that. The CDS himself has mentioned it and Air Marshall Bharti had also done so.”

“Today the whole country must realise that for some reason the Government of India were not upfront with whatever happened. The other thing that needs reassessment by the government is that most of the firing in the four-day operation was done by respective countries from within their borders; still, we lost our aircraft. I think, this needs serious reassessment of technology so that lessons are learnt and we go forward and improve in those aspects,” Reddy, a former IAF pilot, said.

‘Why should international media report this first?’ TMC questions

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) joined the chorus, accusing the BJP-led Centre of failing to inform the public. TMC’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Sagarika Ghose, posted a clip from the CDS interview with Bloomberg TV and asked: “Why should international media report this first? Why were these facts first not given to India’s citizens, to Parliament and to people’s representatives?”

Why should international media report this first? Why were these facts first not given to India’s citizens, to Parliament and to peoples representatives? https://t.co/JKUnjjpIXT

— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) May 31, 2025

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In a separate post, Ghose emphasized the need for democratic accountability: “There are now too many citizens’ concerns regarding #OperationSindoor that must be raised in the national interest. This is HOW a strong democracy renews itself and learns from experiences. Citizens and opposition must be taken into confidence. The @narendramodi government can no longer deny the opposition’s demand. A Special Session of Parliament must be convened in JUNE.”

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