"India Defeated On Day 1 Of Operation Sindoor": Congress Leader Prithviraj Chavan's Shocker

Pune – In a surprising and controversial statement, senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has claimed that India suffered a defeat on the first day of "Operation Sindoor". Addressing a press conference held in Pune, Chavan alleged that Indian aircraft were shot down and the Indian Air Force was effectively grounded during the initial stages of the operation.

"On the first day (of Operation Sindoor), we were completely defeated," Chavan stated. "In the half-hour aerial engagement that took place on the 7th, we were fully defeated, whether people accept it or not”. He further elaborated that the Air Force was completely grounded due to the high probability of being shot down by Pakistan if any aircraft had taken off from Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa.

Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7th in response to a terror attack in Pahalgam that resulted in the deaths of 26 people. Pakistan retaliated, leading to a four-day conflict.

Chavan questioned the necessity of maintaining a large military force, suggesting that future wars will primarily be fought in the air. "Recently, we saw during Operation Sindoor, there was not even a one-kilometer movement of the military. Whatever happened over two or three days was only an aerial war and missile warfare," he stated. "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?".

These remarks follow earlier comments made by Chavan in May regarding the codename "Operation Sindoor," where he questioned whether the government chose the name for "sentimental benefits". He suggested that wars are won with equipment and strategy, not symbolism. At that time, he also urged the government to share details about the operation regularly to counter misinformation on social media.

India has refuted claims of defeat and downplaying the success of operation, calling such interpretations misleading. The government is yet to respond to Chavan's most recent assertions directly.