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‘Didn’t say anything wrong': Prithviraj Chavan ‘not sorry’ for Operation Sindoor remarks
Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said that India was "defeated on Day 1" of the Operation Sindoor military engagement with Pakistan in May.
Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan has remained defiant after the controversy surrounding his remarks on Operation Sindoor, saying on Wednesday that he has “nothing to apologise for”.
The former Maharashtra chief minister had kicked up a storm while speaking at an event in Pune earlier this week. He said that India was "defeated on Day 1" of the Operation Sindoor military engagement with Pakistan in May.
"I will not say sorry… haven't said anything wrong and have nothing to apologise for. I don't want to say anything more now… but I will not apologise. There is no need… I did not make any wrong comment," Chavan said on the matter, according to NDTV.
Chavan had claimed that Indian military aircraft were shot down by Pakistani forces on the first day of Operation Sindoor, which India launched on May 7 in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
"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," PTI quoted Chavan as saying.
The military conflict occurred after initial Indian strikes on terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, in which the Indian forces said that they killed over 100 terrorists.
The resulting conflict went on for three days and ended on May 10 after the Pakistani director general of military operations requested his Indian counterpart for a ceasefire understanding.
Chavan’s comments drew sharp comments from the BJP.
BJP attacks Rahul Gandhi over Prithviraj Chavan’s remarks, Congress distances itself
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla led the charge over Prithviraj Chavan's comments and accused senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of revealing his "mindset" by not acting against party members who make such comments.
"Insulting the Army has become the hallmark of the Congress... This is not just Chavan's statement. Rahul Gandhi has made similar statements... all this reflects Gandhi's mindset, which is why neither the Congress nor he acts against such leaders. These statements reveal their anti-army mentality," Poonawalla was quoted by ANI as saying.
Meanwhile, Congress sought to distance itself from Chavan's remarks. Lok Sabha MP from Jharkhand, Sukhdeo Bhagat, said that the Congress supports the government in the fight against terrorism.
"Only Prithviraj can reveal his sources... but we are proud of our army... Congress supports the government in its fight against terrorism and Pakistan," NDTV quoted Bhagat as saying.
