"Might be his personal opinion; party leadership didn't say this": J-K CM Abdullah on Prithviraj Chavan's Op Sindoor remarks

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 18 (ANI): Reacting to the controversial remarks of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that it doesn't represent the Congress party's official stance and attributing the views of one leader to the entire party would be incorrect, particularly when senior leaders had not made or endorsed such comments.
Emphasising the Congress party's stance in the aftermath of Operation Sindoor, the Chief Minister said the party had extended its support to the Union government and the armed forces.
Speaking to reporters, Chief Minister Abdullah said, "One individual made a statement; if you attribute it to the entire party, that is wrong. The party leadership did not say this, nor did Rahul Gandhi, nor did Priyanka Gandhi, nor did Mallikarjun Kharge say this. Therefore, if one individual says such a thing, it might be his personal opinion... After Operation Sindoor, the Congress party not only stood with the Government of India but also with the army, and it should continue to do so."
This comes after former Maharashtra Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan claimed that India was defeated on the first day of Operation Sindoor and Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day conflict.
"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," Chavan had said.
When questioned, Prithviraj Chavan remained defiant, saying, "Why will I apologise? It is out of the question. The Constitution gives me the right to ask questions."
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 said that it had killed over 100 terrorists in just 23 minutes using Rafale jets, SCALP missiles, and HAMMER bombs. (ANI)