Indian Embassy Issues Clarification On Defense Attaché's Operation Sindoor Statements

The Indian Embassy in Indonesia released a statement on Sunday addressing controversy surrounding comments made by its defense attaché regarding Indian Air Force operations. The diplomatic mission emphasized that Navy Captain Shiv Kumar's statements about Operation Sindoor had been misinterpreted by media outlets.

According to the embassy's official clarification posted on social media platform X, Captain Kumar's presentation at a recent seminar was mischaracterized in news reports. The diplomatic post stressed that his comments were extracted without proper context, leading to inaccurate portrayals of his intended message.

The embassy explained that the defense attaché's presentation actually highlighted how India's armed forces operate under civilian political oversight, distinguishing the country from regional neighbors where military leadership holds greater autonomy. The statement further clarified that Operation Sindoor's primary objective was dismantling terrorist infrastructure while maintaining a measured, non-escalatory approach.

During a June 10th presentation, Captain Kumar had discussed Indian Air Force losses following strikes against terror facilities in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. His remarks included details about operational constraints imposed by political leadership, which initially prevented targeting Pakistani military installations or air defense systems.

The naval officer had explained that these political directives contributed to initial tactical challenges, but subsequent operations adapted by focusing on suppression of enemy air defenses before deploying BrahMos missiles for more effective strikes.

Following the public circulation of these comments, opposition Congress party members criticized the government's handling of military operations. Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh questioned why Prime Minister Modi hadn't convened an all-party meeting to address the matter, while senior leader Pawan Khera characterized the attaché's statements as damaging to national security interests.

The diplomatic clarification represents an attempt to contain potential fallout from the defense attaché's detailed operational disclosures, which have become a source of domestic political debate about military strategy transparency and civilian oversight of armed forces operations.