'Modi Govt misled nation,' says Congress after CDS admits loss of fighter jets in clash with Pakistan
NEW DELHI: After the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan acknowledged loss of India fighter jets by Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, the Congress on Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Government for 'misleading the nation', reiterating its demand of a special Parliament session to explain damages suffered during the four-day conflict and also the role of United States (US) in brokering ceasefire.
Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress' President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha also demanded a comprehensive review of India's Defence Preparedness by an independent expert committee after remarks of CDS in Singapore.
'In the wake of the remarks made by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in Singapore in an interview, there are some very important questions which need to be asked. These can only be asked if a Special Session of the Parliament is immediately convened. The Modi Govt has misled the nation. The fog of war is now clearing,' said Kharge.
He also reiterated that the Congress supports the Indian armed forces. 'Our IAF pilots were risking their lives fighting the enemy. We have suffered some losses, but our pilots were safe. As per CDS's interview, "we made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and flew all our jets again, targeting at long range". We salute their resolute courage and bravery,' Kharge said.
Latching on to the comment by the CDS, Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the country wanted to know whether any aircraft were downed during the conflict.
'A government has to be transparent. Accountability is normal in a democracy. This is not about patriotism. We are more patriotic. Our first family, the Gandhi family, themselves suffered and have made huge sacrifices for the integrity of the country and these people question us. This is really shocking, bizarre,' the Congress leader said.
Referring to repeated claims about negotiating truce between India and Pakistan by US president Donald Trump, Kharge insisted on clarification from Prime Minister Narendra Modi stating that US involvement is a 'direct affront to the Shimla Agreement'.
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