Congress demands Kargil-style review as questions persist over Operation Sindoor

‎The Congress on Thursday renewed its demand for greater accountability and strategic review over the events surrounding Operation Sindoor, with senior leader Jairam Ramesh asserting that several key questions linked to the military operation and its diplomatic aftermath remain unresolved even a year after its launch.

‎In a detailed statement issued on the first anniversary of the operation, Ramesh said the nation must salute the courage and achievements of India’s armed forces while also examining developments that followed the conflict. “As we celebrate the first anniversary of the launch of Operation Sindoor and salute the achievements of our armed forces, it would be useful to recall” a number of subsequent events, he said.

‎The Congress leader raised concerns over the circumstances in which the ceasefire was announced, noting that the “first announcement of the cease fire that halted Operation Sindoor unexpectedly” came on May 10, 2025, from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had credited intervention by US President Donald Trump for making the truce possible. Ramesh alleged that Trump had repeated this claim numerous times internationally while Prime Minister Narendra Modi had not publicly contradicted it.

‎Referring to remarks made in Singapore on May 30, 2025, by Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan, Ramesh said the CDS had acknowledged that India initially suffered setbacks because of tactical mistakes before regrouping and carrying out precision strikes deep inside Pakistan. According to the Congress leader, General Chauhan had underlined the armed forces’ “resilience and adaptability” in overcoming the early losses.

‎Ramesh also cited comments made on June 10, 2025, by India’s Defence Attache in Indonesia during a seminar in Jakarta, where the official reportedly acknowledged that India had lost aircraft on May 7, 2025, owing to “constraints laid down by its political leadership.”

‎The Congress leader further drew attention to remarks by Deputy Chief of Army Staff Rahul Singh on July 4, 2025, regarding China’s alleged role during the conflict. According to Ramesh, the senior officer had spoken of China’s “very deep role” in assisting Pakistan through military supplies, satellite imagery, ammunition and real-time targeting support.

‎Despite these concerns, Ramesh accused the Modi government of adopting what he described as a policy of “calibrated capitulation” towards China. He alleged that restrictions on Chinese foreign direct investment had gradually been eased even as traditional patrolling rights in Ladakh remained affected and imports from China continued to rise.

‎The Congress leader also claimed that India’s diplomatic outreach after Operation Sindoor had failed to isolate Pakistan internationally in the way India succeeded after the 2008 Mumbai attacks. He alleged that Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir had instead received significant diplomatic engagement from President Trump since June 2025, while sections of the American military establishment had publicly praised Pakistan despite its record on cross-border terrorism.

‎Drawing parallels with the aftermath of the Kargil War, Ramesh recalled that the government led by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had constituted the Kargil Review Committee soon after the conflict ended in 1999. Chaired by strategic affairs expert K. Subrahmanyam, the committee submitted its report, titled “From Surprise to Reckoning,” in January 2000, and the document was subsequently tabled in Parliament.

‎The Congress has repeatedly sought greater transparency and institutional review of the operational, diplomatic and strategic dimensions of Operation Sindoor in recent months, while maintaining that its criticism is aimed at the government’s handling of national security issues rather than the armed forces themselves.