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The question is whether India really lost some of its fighter jets in Operation Sindoor and did the Government hide this fact from the country? Watch the accurate analysis with veteran journalist Manoj Tibrewal Aakash
Truth behind Operation Sindoor
New Delhi: India Security policy is deeply linked to military operations and political transparency. This topic is related to the alleged loss of some fighter planes by the Indian Air Force in Operation Sindoor, and the secrecy associated with it. The question is being raised whether India really lost some of its fighter jets in Operation Sindoor and whether the government hid this fact from the country?
Senior journalist Manoj Tibrewal Aakash said in his popular show 'The MTA Speaks' that the controversy started from Indonesia Capital Jakarta, where during a seminar on 10 June, India's Defense Attache Captain Shiv Kumar, who is a senior officer of the Indian Navy, made a sensational claim. He said that in the initial phase of Operation Sindoor, the Indian Air Force had to lose some fighter jets because the political leadership had instructed that military establishments should not be targeted and only terrorist hideouts should be targeted.
As soon as this statement caught public attention, there was an uproar in political circles in India. Congress immediately pounced on this issue and attacked the Government, alleging that the Modi Government has hidden the truth of Operation Sindoor from the country.
Congress said that the country was kept in the dark and this information was not shared intentionally. This is not just a matter of a statement, but also of the strategic balance that has to be maintained between the army and the government in a democratic country like India.
The statement of Defense Attache Captain Shiv Kumar was actually part of a wider discussion, in which the role of political control in decisions of military action in democracy was being discussed. But one part of his statement – “Indian Air Force lost some fighter jets” – was particularly highlighted in the media, which led to this whole controversy.
Let us remind you once again about Operation Sindoor… Last month, on the intervening night of 7 and 8 May, the Indian armed forces carried out a massive military action in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). It was named – Operation Sindoor. This was a response to the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, in which innocent Indian soldiers and civilians were killed.
The Indian Air Force, Army and Navy carried out this operation together, and according to sources, at least 9 terrorist hideouts were targeted and destroyed in this action. The action was so fast and effective that Pakistan had to suddenly announce a ceasefire on 10 May. Surprisingly, the information about the ceasefire was first shared by US President Donald Trump, not the Governments of India or Pakistan. This also gave the opposition an opportunity to attack the government.
Now that the operation is over, many aspects of it were kept under wraps. But this statement of June 10 has once again given air to all the buried questions. Were some fighter jets of the Indian Air Force really shot down? If yes, then how many? How? Due to which technical failure or strategic reasons? And most importantly – why was this thing hidden from the country till now?
The Indian Embassy immediately issued a clarification from Jakarta and called the statement out of context. The embassy said that Captain Shiv Kumar was actually trying to explain that India's military action is in line with democratic values, where the army works under the political leadership.
He further clarified that India's action was 'not provocative' but it was a 'proactive defense move', which was done to eliminate terrorist hideouts. But the Congress is not satisfied with this explanation.
Senior Congress leader and general secretary Jairam Ramesh on Thursday questioned why Prime Minister Modi was rejecting the demand for an all-party meeting and a special session of Parliament. He asked what is the government hiding? Congress IT cell chief Pawan Khera also slammed the government. He said that the government had given incomplete information to the country about Operation Sindoor from the beginning. He alleged that Air Marshal Avdhesh Kumar Bharti had indirectly mentioned the loss in a briefing when he said that "we are in a war-like situation and loss is a part of war." This directly means that some loss has occurred, which is being hidden.
Pawan Khera also referred to the remarks made by Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan during the Shangri-La Dialogue, in which he admitted while talking to a TV channel that India faced some strategic challenges in the airspace. Kheda says that this is the first time that a top military officer has 'officially' accepted that there was some loss in Operation Sindoor.
This controversy is not just a matter of political debate. It is related to the country's strategic strategy, the morale of the army, and fundamental principles like transparency in democracy. If the Indian Air Force really lost its fighter jets, then it is important to know why they fell - technical fault, enemy air defense or some strategic mistake? And most importantly - could this loss have been prevented?
In a country like India, while every military operation should be accountable to the public and Parliament, hiding such information is not only a violation of democratic values, but can also hurt the sense of transparency and self-evaluation within the army. It should also be kept in mind that the entire format of Operation Sindoor was like a 'surgical strike plus' - where not only terrorist hideouts but also the enemy's air defense capability was targeted. This action carried out through Brahmos missiles was extremely challenging from a technical and strategic point of view. If India has lost some of its aircraft during this period, then it demands technical review and public transparency.
Now it is the responsibility of the central government to come before the Parliament and the country, and give a detailed explanation on this matter. Only rhetoric and diplomatic clarification are no longer enough. The people of the country have the right to know at what level its soldiers took action, what losses were incurred and what success was achieved.
So this was today's special analysis on The MTA Speaks - an issue which is on the triple test of security, politics and transparency.
