‘Misleading nation’: Opposition hits out at govt over CDS’s remarks

‘Misleading nation’: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday targeted the Modi government following the remarks made by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Operation Sindoor in an interview in Singapore. Kharge claimed that the nation had been misled and demanded a special session of Parliament to address the issue.

“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 nation. The fog of war is now clearing,” Kharge said in a post on X.

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.

He referred to CDS Chauhan’s remarks made during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where the General said India suffered some tactical setbacks but quickly rectified and resumed operations.

General Chauhan, however, dismissed as "absolutely incorrect" Islamabad's claim of downing six Indian jets.

Also Read: Lost jets, fixed mistake, hit back hard at Pakistan: CDS Gen Chauhan

"Our IAF pilots were risking their lives fighting the enemy. We have suffered some losses, but our pilots were safe. As per CDS's interview, "we made, remedied it, rectified it, and then implemented it again after two days and flew all our jets again, targeting at long range," Kharge said, adding that the Congress demands a Comprehensive Review of Defence Preparedness by an independent expert committee, on the lines of the Kargil Review Committee.

Citing Donald Trump’s statements, Kharge said the US president has again repeated his claim about “brokering a ceasefire”. “This is a direct affront to the Shimla Agreement. Instead of clarifying Mr Trump’s repeated assertions, and the affidavit filed by the 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 May 10, after Trump’s tweet,” he added.

In a separate post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “It is an extraordinary and telling commentary on 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?”

The Trinamool Congress also criticised the government, questioning the delay in informing the public. TMC's deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Sagarika Ghose, shared a clip from the Bloomberg TV interview and asked, “Why did the international press break this story before the Indian government? Why weren’t these facts first shared with Indian citizens, Parliament and elected representatives?”

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The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) also echoed the demand for a special parliamentary session. Referring to the remarks, RJD's Manoj Jha said the interview has raised questions regarding national interest.

"When leaders of other nations issue sensitive statements, they do so with awareness of national sentiment. Should we not also convene Parliament to speak with a single voice? Political bickering and trolling on social media are no substitute for genuine parliamentary debate and responsibility."

“Is India and Pakistan now again hyphenated? What are the conditions of the ceasefire agreement?” said Kharge and added that “140 crore patriotic Indians deserve to know this”.

“Couldn’t Opposition leaders have been taken into confidence by the PM earlier?” he said.

CDS Gen Chauhan told Reuters in an interview: “What was important is, why did these losses occur, and what we’ll do after that.” “So we rectified tactics and then went back on the 7th, 8th and 10th in large numbers to hit air bases deep inside Pakistan, penetrated all their air defences with impunity, carried out precision strikes,” he said.

Also Read: Congress Demands Transparency on Operation Sindoor Losses, Citing CDS Anil Chauhan’s Remarks