Indian govt faces opposition backlash for concealing facts on May 7 losses

Indian Embassy in Indonesia rejects media’s interpretation of Capt Kumar’s comments on aircraft losses


Web Desk July 01, 2025

India’s opposition parties have launched a sharp tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government, accusing it of concealing information about the Indian military's losses during the May 7 air battle with Pakistan and compromising national security under foreign pressure.

Opposition leaders have referred to recent media reports quoting Defence Attaché Captain Shiv Kumar to state that his remarks confirm their long-standing concerns.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reiterated that PM Modi’s political decisions weakened India’s defence posture and accused him of accepting a ceasefire under pressure from former US President Donald Trump.

Read more: India again admits jet losses in Pakistan clash, citing political limits

“Captain Shiv Kumar’s statement corroborates what Rahul Gandhi has said all along. It is clear that aircraft were lost due to the political leadership’s directive not to engage Pakistani military assets,” said a Congress spokesperson.

The party also called Modi “Surrender Narender” and criticised External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar as “JJ”, accusing the government of prioritising optics over operational effectiveness.

The remarks in question were made by Captain Shiv Kumar at a seminar titled “Analysis of the Pakistan–India Air Battle and Indonesia’s Anticipatory Strategies from the Perspective of Air Power”, held at Universitas Dirgantara Marsekal Suryadarma in Jakarta.

According to Indian media, Kumar acknowledged that the Indian Air Force (IAF) "lost some aircraft" and attributed the losses to operational restrictions imposed by political leaders in New Delhi.

In response, the Indian Embassy in Indonesia issued a formal statement rejecting the media’s interpretation of Kumar’s comments.

“His remarks have been quoted out of context, and the reports are a misrepresentation of the intention and thrust of the presentation,” the statement said.

The embassy clarified that Kumar’s presentation emphasised civilian control over the Indian armed forces and reiterated that Operation Sindoor was a limited, non-escalatory mission targeting terrorist infrastructure, not Pakistani military installations.

The conflicting narratives have further fuelled political tensions in India, with the opposition demanding transparency on the actual scale of losses and decisions made during the 86-hour conflict.

Pakistan-India Ceasefire

Tensions between Pakistan and India escalated on April 22, when an attack in Pahalgam killed 26 people.

India immediately blamed Pakistan for the incident. Pakistan categorically rejected Indian accusations.

India then undertook a series of hostile actions the next day on April 23, suspending the 65-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT), cancelling visas for Pakistani citizens, closing the Wagah-Attari border crossing and ordering the shutdown of the Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi.

Both the countries subsequently reduced diplomatic staff at their respective embassies in the other's territory.

Tensions further escalated in the early hours of May 7, when Indian missile strikes hit six cities in Punjab and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), destroying a mosque and killing dozens of civilians, including women, children, and the elderly.

Read More: French intelligence official confirms downing of Rafale by Pakistan

In a swift military response, Pakistan’s armed forces shot down Indian warplanes, including three Rafale jets.

The confrontation intensified again in the early hours of May 10, when India targeted several Pakistani airbases with missile strikes.

In retaliation, Pakistan launched Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, damaging Indian military installations, including missile storage sites, airbases and other strategic targets.

On May 10, US President Donald Trump announced that a ceasefire had been reached following intense diplomatic efforts overnight.

Minutes later, the agreement was confirmed separately by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and the Indian foreign secretary.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ