Row erupts over Prithviraj Chavan's remarks on Operation Sindoor, leaders across parties react

New Delhi [India], December 18 (ANI): Following Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's remarks on Operation Sindoor, sharp reactions from leaders across party lines were witnessed, with several MPs criticising the comments as "inappropriate", while the Congress was seen defending its position.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Praful Patel strongly objected to Chavan's statement, calling it "baseless" and inappropriate coming from a senior leader. "It is absolutely not good for a former Chief Minister to speak lightly on matters concerning the Indian armed forces. Their valour keeps this country safe and secure. Nobody should talk lightly about the role of the armed forces," Patel said, questioning why such remarks were made.
DMK MP T.R. Baalu also distanced himself from the comments, saying Chavan should correct his statement. "It's not correct," Baalu said briefly, signalling disagreement with the Congress leader's remarks.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) launched a strong attack on the Congress over the issue. BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal alleged that the party had consistently undermined India's military successes. The Congress party has always sought India's loss, and this is clearly reflected in its actions. After Pulwama, after the surgical strikes, and now during Operation Sindoor, their attitude has been the same," Jaiswal said. He claimed that India's actions during the operation were widely known, including damage to Pakistani airbases. He accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of being "upset about India's victory." "He forgets that he is a citizen of India," Jaiswal added.
Responding to the criticism, Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal defended both Prithviraj Chavan and Rahul Gandhi, asserting that neither had questioned the armed forces. "We are proud of the success of Operation Sindoor, and we give full credit to the Indian Army," Sapkal said. He argued that Chavan's questions echoed observations from the Rafale manufacturer, as reported by American and international media. "The world is asking the same questions posed by Prithviraj Chavan, and as a nation, we are not able to answer them," he said.
Congress leader and former Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan remained defiant on his statement questioning the Indian forces on Operation Sindoor. Chavan had claimed that India was defeated on day one of Operation Sindoor.
When questioned about the opposition to his statement, 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)