The Congress on Tuesday escalated its attack on the Centre over Operation Sindoor, with senior party leader K.C. Venugopal writing to the Lok Sabha Speaker seeking privilege proceedings against Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The Congress has alleged that the Defence Minister misled Parliament by stating that no Indian soldier was martyred during the operation, despite the subsequent official recognition of six personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty.
In his letter, Venugopal accused the Defence Minister of providing false information during the Lok Sabha debate on Operation Sindoor. He questioned how Rajnath Singh could have stated in Parliament in July 2025 that no Indian soldier had been martyred, when the government and the armed forces later officially acknowledged the sacrifice of six military personnel during the operation.
Calling it a "straightforward, clear-cut lie," Venugopal alleged that the statement was intended to mislead the House and the people of India. He argued that withholding the truth about the casualties amounted to a serious breach of parliamentary privilege and demanded that appropriate action be initiated against the Defence Minister.
The Congress leader further said that the delayed recognition of the fallen soldiers was a grave injustice to their families and an affront to the armed forces. According to him, the six personnel made the ultimate sacrifice while defending the nation, yet the government failed to acknowledge their martyrdom for nearly a year.
"It is a grave insult to the families of these six martyrs and to the entire armed forces that the people of India were not informed about their bravery and supreme sacrifice," Venugopal said. He accused the government of concealing the truth despite portraying itself as a nationalist administration.
Citing parliamentary conventions, Venugopal maintained that if a minister knowingly misleads the House or withholds material information, it constitutes a breach of privilege and amounts to contempt of Parliament. He said his letter to the Speaker requests that privilege proceedings be initiated against Rajnath Singh in accordance with established parliamentary norms.
The latest development comes days after the Congress criticised the Centre for allegedly failing to officially recognise the martyrdom of six soldiers who lost their lives during Operation Sindoor, launched in May 2025 following the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack.
The controversy intensified after the names of six military personnel were inscribed on Wall No. 3D of the Tyag Chakra at the National War Memorial, marking the first official public acknowledgement of the casualties since the operation. The names have also been added to the National War Memorial's official records.
The six personnel honoured are Subedar Major Pawan Kumar, Rifleman Sunil Kumar, Lance Naik Dinesh Kumar, Agniveer Mood Muralinaik, Havildar Sunil Kumar Singh of the Indian Army, and Sergeant Surendra Kumar of the Indian Air Force. Their respective unit names have also been engraved at the memorial in recognition of their service and sacrifice.
Operation Sindoor was launched by Indian security forces in response to the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam on April 22, 2025. While the operation has been projected by the government as a significant counter-terror initiative, the disclosure of the six military casualties has triggered a political confrontation, with the Opposition accusing the Centre of lacking transparency regarding the human cost of the operation.
With the Congress now formally seeking privilege proceedings, the issue is likely to generate fresh debate in Parliament over ministerial accountability, transparency in matters of national security, and the government's handling of information related to military operations and the sacrifices made by India's armed forces.
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