Pune (Maharashtra), December 16: Former Maharashtra Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan claimed that India was defeated on the first day of Operation Sindoor and Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day conflict.
Indian Air Force ‘Completely Grounded’, Says Chavan
Addressing a press conference in Pune, Chavan made controversial remarks as he claimed that the Indian Air Force was "completely grounded", amid the probability of being shot down by Pakistan.
‘Indian Aircraft Were Shot Down on Day One’
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."
Questions Raised on Future of Conventional Warfare
Furthermore, he questioned the need to maintain large military forces, stating that wars will be fought in the air.
"Recently, we saw during Operation Sindoor, there was not even a one-kilometre movement of the military. Whatever happened over two or three days was only an aerial war and missile warfare. In the future, too, wars will be fought in the same way. In such a situation, do we really need to maintain an army of 12 lakh soldiers, or can we make they do some other work?" he said.
India Has Rejected Claims of Aircraft Losses
The claims regarding Indian fighter jets being shot down during Operation Sindoor made rounds after a Defence Attache's statement. However, India has refuted reports regarding a presentation made by the Defence Attache at a seminar in Indonesia, saying that the remarks were "taken out of context" and are "misrepresenting the intention and thrust" of the presentation.
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Background of Operation Sindoor
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, Indian claimed to have killed over 100 terrorists in just 23 minutes using Rafale jets, SCALP missiles, and HAMMER bombs.
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