Amaravathi (Andhra Pradesh) [India], December 17 : Bharatiya Janata Party National Council Member Sadineni Yamini Sharma strongly condemned senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's recent remarks on Operation Sindoor. She further called on Congress to apologise for the leader's statement.
Reacting to Chavan's remarks that India was defeated on day 1 of Operation Sindoor, the BJP Council Member said, "These remarks are not merely an insult to Operation Sindoor; they amount to a direct insult to the Indian Army, national security, and the women who lost their husbands to religious terrorism."
Speaking to ANI, Sharma accused the Opposition party of failing to appreciate Operation Sindoor and "disrespecting, degrading and deliberately attempting to demoralise the spirit of our soldiers."
Sharma said, "We all know what happened in Pahalgam, where terrorists brutally killed more than 29 Hindu men after identifying them based on their religion. Following this barbaric act, the Indian Army, under the decisive leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, carried out Operation Sindoor. Through this operation, our armed forces took firm action against enemy bases, sending a clear and strong message against terrorism."
Affirming her support to the Government of India and the armed forces, the BJP Council Member told ANI, "At such critical moments, they (opposition leaders) should stand united with the Union Government and the armed forces. Instead, they repeatedly mock, insult, and question the Indian Army, including its brave actions under Operation Sindoor."
Additionally, several BJP leaders have condemned the Congress leader's statement, including BJP National Spokesperson CR Kesavan, who said that his comments sound like those of a third-grade Pakistani spokeperson.
"...why have Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi not condemned and initiated action against Prithviraj Chavan? Do they agree with his preposterous statement?...Congress has an anti-army mindset...The Supreme Court rebuked Rahul Gandhi for his remarks against the army....Chavan's statement will neither be forgiven nor forgotten by the people...," Kesavan told ANI.
Kesavan also demanded action against Chavan and asked for an apology for his remarks.
The row erupted after senior Congress leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's comment on Operation Sindoor, in which he claimed that India was defeated on the first day of the conflict and Indian aircraft were shot down in 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", the Congress leader said.
Further in his statement, Chavan questioned the need to maintain large military forces, stating that there will be aerial warfare in future.
Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7 as a response to the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people lost their lives. Pakistan's retaliation led to a four-day conflict between May 7 and 10. During the operation, Indian army said that it had killed over 100 terrorists in just 23 minutes using Rafale jets, SCALP missiles, and HAMMER bombs.