The Congress party has questioned the Modi government over alleged losses suffered by the Indian Armed Forces during Operation Sindoor, following recent revelations made by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan.
Citing an interview with Reuters, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Saturday raised concerns regarding the initial setbacks during the operation and called on the government to consider establishing a review committee, similar to the Kargil Review Committee formed in 1999.
“On July 29, 1999, the Vajpayee Govt set up the Kargil Review Committee under the chairmanship of India’s strategic affairs guru K. Subrahmanyam — whose son is now our External Affairs Minister. This was just three days after the Kargil War had ended. This Committee submitted its detailed report five months later. The report titled ‘From Surprise to Reckoning’ was then laid on the Table of both Houses of Parliament on February 23, 2000, after the necessary redactions. Will the Modi government now take a similar step in light of what the Chief of Defence Staff has just revealed in Singapore?” Ramesh said.
The remarks come in response to statements made by CDS Gen Anil Chauhan during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where he acknowledged that India suffered some losses early in Operation Sindoor.
“So what I can say is, on May 7 and the initial stages, there were losses, but the numbers and that’s not important. What was important is why did these losses occur, and what will we do after that? So we rectified the tactics and then went back on seventh, eighth and 10th, and 10th in large numbers, to hit their bases deep inside Pakistan, penetrated all their defences with impunity, with scattered opposition strikes,” General Chauhan told Reuters.
Following India’s retaliatory strikes on terror bases in Pakistan, the Pakistani military responded by targeting both defence and civilian installations. India then launched a second wave of precision attacks, which reportedly led to the destruction of multiple Pakistani air bases. A ceasefire agreement was reportedly reached on May 10 after these developments.
Congress’s demand for transparency and accountability echoes the precedent set during the Kargil conflict, where a formal review was conducted to assess lapses and recommend reforms. The party has urged the central government to adopt a similar approach to maintain public trust and strengthen national security protocols.