Priyanka Chaturvedi backs Army on Operation Sindoor over Chavan's claim

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Wednesday said that Indian armed forces gave a befitting reply to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, as she expressed faith in the abilities of the armed forces amid the controversial statement given by Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan.

Add Asianet Newsable as a Preferred Source

Chavan Sparks Row With 'India Defeated' Claim

Former Maharashtra Chief Minister Chavan claimed that India was defeated on the first day of Operation Sindoor and Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day conflict. Chaturvedi rejected the assertion, stating that she places her trust in the Indian Army and that the country delivered a strong and appropriate response to Pakistan under Operation Sindoor.

"I don't know where he got the information from. But I trust our Army. What the Army did, they did for the honour of our nation. The nation gave a befitting reply to Pakistan," Priyanka Chaturvedi told ANI.

Chavan Doubles Down, Questions Military Strategy

The former Maharashtra CM sparked a row with his statement, allowing the BJP to attack the Congress. On the other hand, Chavan refused to apologise for his remarks, stating that the constitution gives him the right to question the government.

'Air Force Was Completely Grounded'

Chavan made controversial remarks as he claimed that the Indian Air Force was "completely grounded", amid the probability of aircraft being shot down by Pakistan. 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 Need for Large Army

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.

What Was 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. (ANI)