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Express Tribune
13 hours ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Opposition slams Modi government for concealing details of IAF
India's opposition parties have launched a sharp tirade against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, accusing it of concealing information about the Indian military's losses during the May 7 air confrontation with Pakistan and compromising national security under foreign pressure. Opposition leaders have referred to recent media reports quoting Defence Attaché Captain Shiv Kumar to state that his remarks confirm their long-standing concerns. Rahul Gandhi was absolutely right to call Modi 'Surrender Narender' and Jaishankar 'JJ.' Captain Shiv Kumar's statement corroborates what the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, had raised long ago. He had rightly questioned who authorized informing Pakistan, as it is… — Srivatsa (@srivatsayb) June 30, 2025 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reiterated that PM Modi's political decisions weakened India's defence posture and accused him of accepting a ceasefire under pressure from former US President Donald Trump. Read more: India again admits jet losses in Pakistan clash, citing political limits 'Captain Shiv Kumar's statement corroborates what Rahul Gandhi has said all along. It is clear that aircraft were lost due to the political leadership's directive not to engage Pakistani military assets,' said a Congress spokesperson. The party also called Modi 'Surrender Narender' and criticised External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar as 'JJ', accusing the government of prioritising optics over operational effectiveness. As shocking as this revelation is, Rahul Gandhi ji was once again right. There is a reason Trump keeps bringing up the ceasefire thing. Modi's diplomacy handicapped not only our defence but also our country — Armaan (@Mehboobp1) June 30, 2025 The remarks in question were made by Captain Shiv Kumar at a seminar titled 'Analysis of the Pakistan–India Air Battle and Indonesia's Anticipatory Strategies from the Perspective of Air Power', held at Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma in Jakarta. According to Indian media, Kumar acknowledged that the Indian Air Force (IAF) "lost some aircraft" and attributed the losses to operational restrictions imposed by political leaders in New Delhi. 'IAF Lost Fighter Jets to Pak Because of Political Leadership's Constraints': Indian Defence Attachehttps:// — The Wire (@thewire_in) June 29, 2025 In response, the Indian Embassy in Indonesia issued a formal statement rejecting the media's interpretation of Kumar's comments. 'His remarks have been quoted out of context, and the reports are a misrepresentation of the intention and thrust of the presentation,' the statement said. We have seen media reports regarding a presentation made by the Defence Attache at a Seminar. His remarks have been quoted out of context and the media reports are a mis-representation of the intention and thrust of the presentation made by the speaker. The presentation… — India in Indonesia (@IndianEmbJkt) June 29, 2025 The embassy clarified that Kumar's presentation emphasised civilian control over the Indian armed forces and reiterated that Operation Sindoor was a limited, non-escalatory mission targeting terrorist infrastructure, not Pakistani military installations. The conflicting narratives have further fuelled political tensions in India, with the opposition demanding transparency on the actual scale of losses and decisions made during the 86-hour conflict. Pakistan-India Ceasefire Tensions between Pakistan and India escalated on April 22, when an attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people. India immediately blamed Pakistan for the incident. Pakistan categorically rejected Indian accusations. India then undertook a series of hostile actions the next day on April 23, suspending the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), cancelling visas for Pakistani citizens, closing the Wagah-Attari border crossing and ordering the shutdown of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi. Both the countries subsequently reduced diplomatic staff at their respective embassies in the other's territory. Tensions further escalated in the early hours of May 7, when Indian missile strikes hit six cities in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), destroying a mosque and killing dozens of civilians, including women, children, and the elderly. Read More: French intelligence official confirms downing of Rafale by Pakistan In a swift military response, Pakistan's armed forces shot down Indian warplanes, including three Rafale jets. The confrontation intensified again in the early hours of May 10, when India targeted several Pakistani airbases with missile strikes. In retaliation, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, damaging Indian military installations, including missile storage sites, airbases and other strategic targets. On May 10, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached following intense diplomatic efforts overnight. Minutes later, the agreement was confirmed separately by Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the Indian foreign secretary.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Indian official says political ‘constraints' led to jet losses
Firefighters give water cannon salute to a Rafale jet during its induction ceremony into the Indian Air Force at the Ambala Air Force Station in Ambala. PHOTO: AFP NEW DELHI – India's political leadership didn't permit strikes on Pakistani military bases at the start of hostilities between the two countries in May, allowing Islamabad to shoot down its fighter jets, according to a military official. 'I do agree we did lose some aircraft. That happened only because of the constraints given by the political leadership to not attack the military establishment or their air defence,' India's military attachė to Indonesia, Shiv Kumar, said at a seminar on the India-Pakistan conflict at the Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma in Jakarta on June 10. The worst clash between the nuclear-armed neighbours in half a century erupted May 7, with both sides trading air, drone and missile strikes, as well as artillery and small-arms fire along their shared border. It was triggered by an attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir on April 22 that killed 26 civilians in what India called an act of terrorism orchestrated by Pakistan. Islamabad has denied involvement. Mr Kumar's comments are the most direct explanation so far from an Indian official on why the country lost fighter jets during the conflict with Pakistan. The assertion from a military official that a political directive at the start of the conflict could be responsible for the downing of the planes may embolden India's opposition, which is scrutinising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government over the hostilities. India's Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of External Affairs didn't respond to emails seeking comments sent after office hours. India's embassy in Indonesia said in a post on X that Mr Kumar's comments at the seminar were 'quoted out of context' and that he had wanted to convey that the 'Indian Armed Forces serve under civilian political leadership.' In an interview in May, chief of defence staff of armed forces, Anil Chauhan, had accepted India lost an unspecified number of fighter aircraft but blamed the downing of the jets to tactical mistakes which were rectified. New Delhi changed its policy after the initial losses, 'destroying' Pakistan air defence which allowed India to hit subsequently several military installations, including key airbases, Mr Kumar said. India claimed to have hit 11 Pakistan airbases alongside the destruction of air defence installations. Mr Kumar said Islamabad capitulated after Indian strikes disabled several of its key military installations, leading New Delhi to conclude that 'Pakistan will never use their nuclear weapon against India.' BLOOMBERG Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Print
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Print
IAF lost ‘some' jets in Op Sindoor over political constraint to not hit military—Indian Defence Attaché
He made these remarks during a seminar hosted 10 June by Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma in Indonesia, themed 'Analysis of the Pakistan-India Air Battle and Indonesia's Anticipatory Strategies.' Responding to a previous presenter who referenced Pakistan's claim of having downed six aircraft, including three Rafales, during Operation Sindoor, Capt. Kumar of the Indian Navy said, 'I may not agree with him that India lost so many aircraft. But, I do agree that we did lose some aircraft and that happened only because of the constraint given by the political leadership to not attack the military establishments and their air defences.' New Delhi: India's Defence Attaché to Indonesia Captain Shiv Kumar has said that the Indian Air Force (IAF) lost 'some' fighter jets to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor in the early hours of 7 May due to political constraints that limited military targeting to terror camps alone. In his presentation, Capt. Kumar described India's cross-border strikes on 7 May, targeting nine terror training camps across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), as an act of 'political signalling.' He stated that the 'only constraint the government gave to the armed forces was not to target anything but the terror camps, no military installations.' 'There was an issue of SEAD and DEAD [Suppression and Destruction of Enemy Air Defences] which was not taken earlier because of the constraints given by the political leadership.' Capt. Kumar went on to add that the tactics were changed after the loss. '…and we went for their military installations, before which we carried out SEAD followed by surface-to-air missiles and surface-to-surface missiles like BrahMos,' he said. He identified SEAD and DEAD as a key operational takeaway from Operation Sindoor. The government had made it clear that India's Operation Sindoor targeted only terror camps and was not targeted at the military. This was so because, had India taken out military radars and surface to air missile systems, it would have been seen as an act of war by the world at large. India has been very clear that Pakistan started the escalation ladder and that the Indian military responded with more force each time they did. The defence attaché also touched upon India's nuclear posture, reiterating that India follows a no first use (NFU) policy but maintains credible nuclear deterrence across land, air, sea, and undersea platforms. 'Pakistan has a nuclear first use policy, but if it ever attacks India, it won't exist,' he said. He added that following India's strikes targeting airbases, Pakistan called for a ceasefire on 10 May. Capt. Kumar clarified that India has not agreed to a formal ceasefire, but rather a 'temporary cessation of hostilities.' As earlier reported by ThePrint, Pakistan, which 'brusquely turned down' the request of Indian Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt. Gen. Rajiv Ghai on 7 May 'with an intimation that a severe response was inevitable and, in the offing,' was desperately reaching out to him on 10 May to ensure a ceasefire. Last month, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, had acknowledged IAF losses but dismissed Pakistan's claims of downing six Indian jets, including Rafales, as 'absolutely incorrect.' In a separate interview with Reuters the same day, Gen Chauhan added, 'We rectified tactics and then went back on 7th, 8th and 10th, and on the 10th in large numbers to hit airbases deep inside Pakistan. [We] penetrated all their air defences with impunity and carried out precision strikes.' At a seminar in Pune on 3 June, the CDS, referring to the loss of fighters during Op Sindoor, said that professional militaries are not deterred by losses and that operational objectives remain paramount. Also Read: 'Hydraulic snag' keeps UK's F-35 grounded in Kerala, puts spotlight on stealth jet's track record Oppn calls it a cover-up, demands answers On Sunday, opposition leaders seized on the statements made by the CDS and Capt. Kumar, alleging a cover-up of the scale of Indian losses during the operation. Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh said on 'X', 'First the Chief of Defence Staff makes important revelations in Singapore. Then a senior defence official follows up from Indonesia. But why is the PM refusing to preside over an all-party meeting and take the Opposition into confidence? Why has the demand for a special session of Parliament been rejected?' Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera also joined in to criticise the government's handling of information related to Operation Sindoor on 'X'. '…It was left to Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan to make the first official admission of our attrition in the air while speaking to Bloomberg TV… and now, in another shocking revelation by Capt. Shiv Kumar, it has emerged that the Indian Air Force lost fighter jets to Pakistan on the night of May 7, 2025 during its targeting of Pakistan's terror-linked sites only because of the constraint given by the political leadership… No wonder they are ducking our demand for a Special Session of Parliament,' he said. Later in the day, the Indian embassy in Indonesia issued a statement on 'X', pushing back against how Capt. Shiv Kumar's remarks were being misunderstood. 'We have seen media reports regarding a presentation made by the Defence Attaché at a seminar,' the embassy said. 'His remarks have been quoted out of context, and the media reports are a misrepresentation of the intention and thrust of the presentation made by the speaker,' it added. The embassy clarified that the presentation had highlighted how 'the Indian Armed Forces serve under civilian political leadership unlike some other countries in our neighbourhood,' and that it had emphasised the objective of Operation Sindoor was to target terrorist infrastructure in a 'non-escalatory' manner. (Edited by Tony Rai) Also Read: What are US 'bunker buster' bombs & stealth bombers than can strike Iran's nuclear mountain
