Operation Sindoor: Jairam Ramesh slams govt on its 1st anniversary

On Operation Sindoor's first anniversary, Congress's Jairam Ramesh criticises the government's handling of the military op and its diplomatic aftermath, citing US intervention, initial tactical errors, and China's support for Pakistan.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday used the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor to launch a sharp critique of the government's handling of the military operation and its diplomatic aftermath, while stating that he salutes the armed forces.

In a post on X, Ramesh questioned the circumstances around the ceasefire announcement on May 10, 2025, claiming that the first public statement was made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who attributed it to the intervention of US President Donald Trump. He said the repeated assertion by Trump had never been publicly refuted by the Indian government.

Ramesh questions ceasefire, US role

"The first announcement of the ceasefire that halted Operation Sindoor unexpectedly was made at 5:37 PM IST on May 10 2025, by the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who claimed that it was intervention by President Trump that had made this possible. Subsequently, the US President has repeated this claim over a hundred times in different countries without ever having been refuted even once by his good friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he wrote.

Cites Military Leadership's Admissions

He also cited remarks by Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, pointing to his acknowledgement of initial losses due to tactical errors, which Ramesh used to underline what he suggested were lapses in the government's handling of the operation before corrective action led to later precision strikes. "The Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan made a statement in Singapore on May 30 2025, where he had said that India had suffered initial losses as a result of tactical errors but that after review and correction, India was able to understand the tactical mistakes and return with precision strikes deep inside Pakistan, demonstrating resilience and adaptability," Ramesh added.

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 the following: 1. The first announcement of the cease fire that halted Operation Sindoor unexpectedly was made at 5:37 PM IST on… pic.twitter.com/7zOnXG9MVx — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) May 7, 2026

Ramesh further referred to a statement made by India's Defence Attache in Jakarta, who acknowledged aircraft losses during the operation and attributed them to constraints imposed by the political leadership. "On June 10 2025, in a seminar in Jakarta, the Defence Attache in the Indian embassy in Indonesia acknowledged that India had lost aircraft on May 7 2025, because of the constraints laid down by its political leadership," he further added.

China's Role and 'Capitulation'

He additionally pointed to comments by then Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Rahul Singh regarding China's alleged operational support to Pakistan, including intelligence inputs and satellite-based assistance. Ramesh also linked this to broader concerns over what he described as the government's "calibrated capitulation" to China, citing issues such as reported changes in patrolling rights in Ladakh, rising Chinese imports, and eased foreign direct investment (FDI) norms. "The Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Rahul Singh, made a statement on July 4 2025, that had drawn pointed attention to China's very deep role in Pakistan's response to Operation Sindoor providing - in addition to critical equipment and ammunition - live inputs including satellite imagery and real-time targeting support. Yet, the Modi Govt's calibrated capitulation to China continues unabated, including the loss of traditional patrolling rights in Ladakh, record Chinese imports, relaxation of FDI norms, etc," the post continued.

Diplomatic Aftermath and Lack of Accountability

On the diplomatic front, he said Pakistan had not faced international isolation in the aftermath of the operation, despite "extensive diplomatic outreach by India" and noted engagement between Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir and the US leadership. "In spite of extensive diplomatic outreach by India, Pakistan did not get isolated as it had been following the Mumbai terror attack in November 2008. On the contrary, its army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir has been embraced with extraordinary warmth by President Trump from June 2025 onwards and the world's leading sponsor of cross-border terrorism, namely Pakistan, has come in for praise from the US military establishment," Ramesh further wrote.

In conclusion, he contrasted the situation with the post-Kargil period, citing the Kargil Review Committee set up by the Vajpayee government, which submitted a report reflecting institutional accountability and systematic review for the future. "It also bears recall that just a few days after the Kargil War ended in July 1999, the Vajpayee Govt. had set up a four-member Kargil Review Committee chaired by the country's strategic affairs guru K. Subrahmanyam (the father of the External Affairs Minister) to examine the sequence of events and recommendations for the future. It submitted its report titled "From Surprise to Reckoning" on January 7, 2000. The report was tabled in Parliament on February 23, 2000," the post concluded.

About Operation Sindoor

India marks the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor today. Operation Sindoor was launched on May 7, 2025, following the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people lost their lives. In response, Indian armed forces carried out strikes on terror launchpads in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).

According to official information, Indian forces destroyed nine major terror launchpads linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen during the operation, killing over 100 terrorists. Pakistan responded with drone attacks and shelling, triggering a four-day military confrontation between the two countries. India retaliated by targeting radar installations in Lahore and facilities near Gujranwala. Hostilities came to an end after Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations contacted the Indian DGMO, following which a ceasefire agreement was reached on May 10, 2025.

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