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Indian defence circles have been stirred by a recent controversy involvingconflicting statements from senior Indian military officials about theIndian Air Force’s (IAF) losses during the May 7 aerial engagement withPakistan. An Indian analyst and naval officer, Captain Shiv Kumar, whocurrently serves as Defence Attaché to Indonesia, stated in a publicseminar that the IAF suffered aircraft losses due to operationalconstraints imposed by the Indian political leadership. He claimed thatIndian pilots were restricted from targeting Pakistani militaryinstallations and air defences, which contributed to the losses sustained.
Captain Kumar made these comments during a seminar held in Jakarta titled“Analysis of the Pakistan–India Air Battle and Indonesia’s AnticipatoryStrategies from the Perspective of Air Power.” His remarks appeared toalign with earlier admissions made by India’s Chief of Defence Staff,General Anil Chauhan, who acknowledged that India had indeed lost aircraftbut emphasized that the circumstances surrounding the incident were complexand related to the rules of engagement set by civilian authorities.
Following the seminar, the Indian Embassy in Indonesia released a statementclaiming that Captain Kumar’s comments were taken out of context. Accordingto the embassy, Kumar’s remarks were meant to highlight the importance ofcivilian control over military operations, and that India’s OperationSindoor was designed to target terrorist infrastructure, not Pakistanimilitary forces, to avoid escalation.
However, the controversy has triggered political fallout within India.Opposition parties, particularly the Indian National Congress, have accusedthe Modi government of misleading the public and concealing the extent ofthe losses. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera called Captain Kumar’sstatement a direct indictment of the government’s failure to support themilitary adequately. Rahul Gandhi also weighed in, criticizing thegovernment for allegedly compromising military decision-making by placingpolitical considerations above strategic needs.
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The debate intensified as earlier comments from Air Marshal A. K. Bharti,Director General of Air Operations, also resurfaced. He had previouslystated that losses are a natural part of warfare, suggesting that themilitary had accepted the outcome and adjusted their tactics accordingly.
As political leaders and defence officials offer conflicting narratives,the situation has raised concerns about transparency, civilian-militarycoordination, and the government’s handling of national securitycommunications. The controversy continues to unfold, with many nowdemanding a full account of the May 7 incident and clarity on the actualdecisions taken during the engagement.