NEW DELHI (The Thursday Times) — The Indian government’s account of last year’s war with Pakistan is facing renewed scrutiny after the country’s main opposition accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration of concealing the deaths of Indian servicemen during Operation Sindoor, triggering one of the most politically damaging rows to emerge since the war.
The controversy erupted after India’s Defence Ministry formally acknowledged that six military personnel were killed during the operation, prompting Congress leaders to accuse Defence Minister Rajnath Singh of misleading Parliament and withholding crucial information from the public.
For months, Pakistan maintained that India’s military suffered significant losses during the May 2025 war, assertions that New Delhi repeatedly rejected. The latest political storm inside India has given fresh momentum to opposition claims that the Modi government failed to present a complete account of the war to Parliament and the Indian public.
Congress has demanded Rajnath Singh’s resignation, arguing that Parliament was deprived of accurate information regarding the deaths of five Indian Army personnel and one Indian Air Force serviceman.
K. C. Venugopal, the party’s chief whip in the Lok Sabha, has submitted a breach of privilege notice against the defence minister, alleging that he misled lawmakers during parliamentary proceedings.
Retired military officers associated with the opposition have added further pressure on the government. At a joint press conference, Retired Colonel Rohit Chaudhry and Retired Wing Commander Anuma Acharya accused the Modi administration of concealing the fatalities and called on Rajnath Singh to step down. They also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to publicly apologise to the families of the fallen personnel and to the nation.
The Bharatiya Janata Party has dismissed the allegations, insisting Rajnath Singh’s remarks have been selectively quoted and taken out of context. Government officials maintain that military casualties were acknowledged through official channels and that the fallen servicemen received appropriate honours.
Nevertheless, the disclosures have fuelled broader questions about transparency during the war with Pakistan. Opposition leaders argue that the issue is no longer simply about battlefield losses but about whether Parliament and the Indian public were given a truthful account of one of South Asia’s most significant military confrontations in recent years.
The political turmoil in New Delhi echoes claims made throughout the war that India had understated the extent of its losses. While Indian authorities continue to reject that characterisation, the domestic controversy has intensified pressure on the Modi government and reopened debate over the credibility of its wartime narrative.
With Parliament once again consumed by the fallout from Operation Sindoor, the issue has evolved beyond military casualties into a wider test of political accountability, transparency and public trust in the government’s handling of the war.
