Govt misled nation, must hold special House session to face questions: Congress
After Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan said in an interview that India switched tactics after suffering losses in the air on the first day of conflict with Pakistan earlier this month, the Congress Saturday alleged that PM Narendra Modi-led government has 'misled the nation' and said that the 'fog of war is now lifting'.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said that in the wake of the remarks on Operation Sindoor by General Chauhan on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue security forum in Singapore, some 'very important questions' needed to be asked and demanded a 'comprehensive review of our defence preparedness by an independent expert committee, on the lines of the Kargil Review Committee'.
Kharge, also the Leader of Opposition in RS, said that the questions can be asked only if a special session of the Parliament is immediately convened.
'Our IAF pilots were risking their lives fighting the enemy. We have suffered some losses, but our pilots were safe… We salute their resolute courage and bravery. However, a comprehensive strategic review is the need of the hour,' he said.
'The Congress demands a comprehensive review of our defence preparedness by an independent expert committee, on the lines of the Kargil Review Committee,' he said.
Referring to US President Donald Trump's repeated claim about brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, Kharge said, 'This is a direct affront to the Shimla Agreement.'
'Instead of clarifying Trump's repeated assertions, and the affidavit filed by US Secretary of Commerce in the United States Court of International Trade, PM Modi is on an election blitz, taking personal credit for the valour of our Armed Forces, hiding behind their bravery, and dodging the contours of the agreed ceasefire, which the Foreign Secretary (Vikram Misri) announced on (May) 10th, after Mr Trump's tweet,' Kharge said on X.
'Is India and Pakistan now again hyphenated? What are the conditions of the ceasefire agreement?' said Kharge and added that '140 crore patriotic Indians deserve to know this'.
In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also said, 'It is an extraordinary and telling commentary on Emergency@11 that the PM will not chair all-party meetings and will not take Parliament into confidence but the nation gets to know of the first phase of Operation Sindoor through the CDS's interview in Singapore.'
'Couldn't Opposition leaders have been taken into confidence by the PM earlier?' he said.
CDS Gen Chauhan told Reuters in an interview: 'What was important is, why did these losses occur, and what we'll do after that.' 'So we rectified tactics and then went back on the 7th, 8th and 10th in large numbers to hit air bases deep inside Pakistan, penetrated all their air defences with impunity, carried out precision strikes,' he said.
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