'Why did we have to wait for CDS to speak from Singapore?': Congress slams Centre over lack of transparency on Operation Sindoor

NEW DELHI: Congress MP Jairam Ramesh on Sunday questioned the Modi government ’s handling of key military disclosures, expressing disappointment that critical information about Operation Sindoor was first revealed by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Anil Chauhan abroad, instead of being shared transparently with political leaders at home.

“Why did we have to wait for General Chauhan to make these revelations from Singapore?” Ramesh asked pointedly in a conversation with ANI. “It would have been better if the Defence Minister had shared this information in the two all-party meetings he chaired. This should have been brought to Parliament. We’re supposed to be the mother of democracy.”

The remarks come after Gen Chauhan, while speaking to Reuters on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, acknowledged that Indian forces suffered losses in the initial phase of Operation Sindoor, launched in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack . He confirmed that those losses were quickly addressed and followed by powerful counterstrikes deep inside Pakistan.

“There were losses on May 7 in the initial stages, but we adjusted tactics and struck back on May 7, 8, and especially on May 10 with full force, penetrating Pakistani defences and hitting 11 of their air bases, including one near Islamabad,” Gen Chauhan said.

This statement marked the first official acknowledgment of Indian casualties and the scale of India’s response, something Ramesh believes should have come directly from the government in India.

Drawing a historical comparison, the Congress leader recalled how former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had swiftly constituted a Kargil Review Committee in 1999, just three days after the conflict ended. "The Kargil report, prepared by K. Subrahmanyam and others, was submitted on December 15, 1999, and tabled in Parliament by February 2000. That’s transparency. That’s how a democracy functions," he said, holding up a copy of the report titled 'From Surprise to Reckoning'.

Ramesh further argued that while operational details are rightly handled by the military, broader political issues, especially the China-Pakistan nexus revealed during Operation Sindoor, must be addressed in an all-party setting led by the Prime Minister.

“There are military issues that only the military can discuss, but there are political implications—foreign policy, economic strategy, diplomacy—that demand broader consultation. Why wasn’t Parliament informed? Why silence at home and statements abroad?”

Gen Chauhan’s remarks in Singapore directly contradicted Pakistani claims that India halted aerial operations after May 7. He asserted that India intensified its response, using fighter jets, drones, and missiles to launch precision strikes. One of the most notable was on May 10 at the Nur Khan Airbase near Islamabad, described by PM Modi as a "new dawn in the middle of the night" during a speech at Adampur airbase.

Satellite imagery later confirmed the accuracy and scale of India’s offensive, dealing heavy damage to terror infrastructure and multiple Pakistani air bases. Pakistan had attempted retaliatory strikes but failed to inflict comparable damage.

A ceasefire understanding was eventually reached on May 10.

Still, opposition leaders like Ramesh say the lack of timely communication from the defence minister reflects poorly on the government’s commitment to transparency and democratic accountability.

“We cannot afford to learn about our own military operations through international conferences and foreign press,” he said. “This government must do better.”