Chavan sparked a political row after claiming that India was “defeated” by Pakistan on the first day of the military standoff, which was initiated by the Indian Armed Forces in response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.

Speaking at an event in Pune, Chavan alleged that an Indian military aircraft was shot down on the first day of the four-day conflict.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly condemned the remarks, calling them reflective of the Congress party’s “anti-army mentality”. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla told ANI that such statements were not isolated incidents.

“Insulting the army has become the hallmark of the Congress party. This is not just Prithviraj Chavan’s statement; Rahul Gandhi has also made similar remarks. That is why the Congress leadership takes no action against such leaders,” Poonawalla said.

Despite mounting criticism, Chavan stood by his comments and ruled out any apology. “I don’t want to say anything more now, but I will not apologise. There is no need. I did not make any wrong comment,” he told NDTV.

Operation Sindoor

The Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). The operation was carried out in retaliation after Pakistan allegedly targeted civilians across the border without provocation.

The strikes destroyed major training hubs of Pakistan-based terror outfits, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen, within a span of 25 minutes.