'Why CDS Chauhan spoke from Singapore and not the Defence Minister in all-party meeting': Congress slams govt on aircraft losses in OP Sindoor - The Statesman

CDS Chauhan Saturday admitted losses of Indian aircraft in the recent confrontation with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor but rejected as “absolutely incorrect” Islamabad’s claim of downing

six jets.

The Opposition Congress on Sunday criticised the government for allegedly withholding information regarding the downing of fighter jets during the recent confrontation with Pakistan, stating

that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh should have informed Opposition leaders during the all-party meeting.

Referring to the statements made by CDS General Anil Chauhan in Singapore, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “It would have been better if what he had spoken, the Defence Minister should

have said it in the two all-party meetings he had chaired. Whatever Gen Chauhan has said, this information should have been shared with the opposition leaders, and a special session of the

Parliament should have been convened… We had to wait for General Chauhan to make these revelations from Singapore.”

CDS Chauhan Saturday admitted losses of Indian aircraft in the recent confrontation with Pakistan during Operation Sindoor but rejected as “absolutely incorrect” Islamabad’s claim of downing

six jets.

Chauhan has said, “What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being down.”

“The good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake which we made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and fly all our jets again, targeting

at long range,” the Chief of Defence Staff added.

Ramesh said that after the Kargil war, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had set up a Kargil review Committee to assess the damages.

“Three days after the Kargil war ended, Prime Minister Vajpayee set up a Kargil Review Committee. The report was prepared by four members, including the father of EAM Dr S Jaishankar. This

report was tabled in Parliament. There are military issues which only the military can discuss, but there are political issues,” he remarked.

Raising concerns over the Pakistan-China nexus, the Congress leader said that the issue needs to be addressed in an all-party meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the chair.

He further pointed out that the issues the General Chauhan raised during an interview with Bloomberg TV in Singapore on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue not just impinge on military

strategy but also foreign policy and economic and diplomatic strategy.