Why did defence chief speak from Singapore? Congress rebukes with Vajpayee lesson

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan’s remarks on Operation Sindoor in Singapore, where he acknowledged India’s military losses, merit serious study and warrant a broader political discussion, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Sunday. He stressed that the Defence Minister should have informed political parties about the losses before a military official revealed them abroad.

General Chauhan, who was in Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue, admitted in an interview with Bloomberg for the first time that an unspecified number of Indian fighter jets were downed during the recent hostilities with Pakistan.

Echoing Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Ramesh reiterated the party’s demand for a comprehensive review of India’s defence preparedness by an independent expert committee, similar to the Kargil Review Committee.

“Why did we have to wait for statements from Singapore? We are supposed to be the mother of democracy. The issues that Gen Chauhan raised are critical and they impinge not just on military strategy but also on foreign policy, economic policy, and diplomatic strategy,” the Congress general secretary told news agency ANI.

He stressed that the Defence Minister should have conveyed these details during the all-party meetings held after Operation Sindoor.

“It would have been better if what Gen Chauhan has now said was instead conveyed by the Defence Minister during the two all-party meetings he chaired. The information shared by Gen Chauhan should have been presented to opposition leaders, and a special session of Parliament should have been convened,” Ramesh said.

The Congress leader pointed out that just three days after the Kargil war ended in July 1999, Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had set up a Kargil Review Committee, noting that the father of current External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar was one of the four members who prepared the report.

He added that though there are military matters which only the military can address, there are also political issues that must be taken up, such as the growing nexus between China and Pakistan.

“All we asked was for the Prime Minister to chair an all-party meeting and convene a session of Parliament. The revelations made by Gen Chauhan yesterday in Singapore make our demand even more relevant now. The outcome of such a session should be a resolution that reiterates the February 22, 1994 resolution on POK, while also incorporating new elements,” Ramesh said.

During India’s Operation Sindoor, which was launched after the Pahalgam attacks, Pakistan had claimed that it had downed six Indian fighter jets, a claim India had previously downplayed.

General Chauhan categorically rejected Pakistan’s assertion that it had shot down six Indian jets, including four Rafales, calling it “absolutely incorrect”.

"What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being down... Why they were down, what mistakes were made - that are important. Numbers are not important," General Chauhan said.

In another interview with news agency Reuters, the top military official specified that the losses occurred in the initial stage of India’s operation.