Senior Congress Leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan sparked a major political controversy on December 16, 2025, by claiming that India was "completely defeated" on the first day of Operation Sindoor, the brief military conflict with Pakistan in May 2025. Addressing a press conference in Pune, Chavan alleged that Indian aircraft were shot down during an initial aerial engagement and that the Indian Air Force was subsequently "fully grounded" due to the high risk of further losses.

Chavan stated that no aircraft took off from key bases like Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa, as there was a significant probability of being shot down by Pakistan. He further questioned the necessity of maintaining a large ground army of 1.2 million soldiers, arguing that the four-day conflict involved no territorial movement and was limited to aerial and missile warfare, suggesting future wars would follow a similar pattern.

Operation Sindoor was India's response to the April 22, 2025, terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 civilians, mostly tourists, were killed by militants linked to Pakistan-based groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. The operation, launched on May 7, involved precision strikes on nine terrorist infrastructure sites, escalating into retaliatory exchanges before a ceasefire on May 10.

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Chavan's references to aircraft losses appear to stem from unverified reports and a defence attaché's presentation at an Indonesian seminar, which the Indian government dismissed as "taken out of context". Official accounts describe the operation as a calibrated success in dismantling terror networks, with some independent analyses acknowledging initial setbacks but overall strategic gains for India.

The remarks drew sharp criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which accused Congress of disrespecting the armed forces and undermining national morale. BJP spokespersons labelled the statements as reflective of the party's alleged anti-military stance. As debates over the 2025 conflict's outcomes continue, Chavan's comments highlight ongoing political divisions on national security narratives, with the government maintaining that Operation Sindoor effectively raised the cost of cross-border terrorism for Pakistan.

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