A massive political row has erupted after senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan claimed that India was defeated on the very first day of Operation Sindoor.
In a sharp retort, the BJP accused the opposition party of repeatedly disrespecting the Indian armed forces and undermining national security operations.
Chavan made the controversial statement at a press conference in Pune where he said the Indian Air Force was completely grounded during the three-day military conflict.
"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,” he said.
“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,” the Congress leader further claimed.
Chavan further remarked that although India holds superiority over Pakistan in terms of the Army size, Operation Sindoor clearly established that future conflicts are going to be largely in the domain of air power and missiles.
"As far as the Army is concerned, we have a strength of 12 lakh to 15 lakh, while Pakistan has 5 lakh to 6 lakh personnel. But it (large size) has no meaning because that kind of war (on ground) will not happen now," he argued.
The former minister further remarked that the conflict during Operation Sindoor was largely an aerial engagement and missile war, and future wars will also take place in a similar manner.
The BJP hit back at Chavan, saying insulting the army has become the hallmark of the Congress party.
"This is not just Prithviraj Chavan's statement; Rahul Gandhi has also made similar statements. All these statements reflect Rahul Gandhi's mindset, which is why Rahul Gandhi or the Congress party does not take any action against such leaders. These statements reveal their anti-army mentality," said BJP's national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla.