Summary The criticism follows the Indian government's decision on June 26 to publicly identify six members of the armed forces who were killed during the military operation dubbed "Operation Sindoor"
(Web Desk) – India's main opposition Congress party has demanded the resignation of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accusing him of misleading Parliament over the deaths of Indian military personnel during the May 2025 conflict with Pakistan, according to Indian media reports.
The criticism follows the Indian government's decision on June 26 to publicly identify six members of the armed forces who were killed during the military operation dubbed "Operation Sindoor." The names were added to the Roll of Honour on the National War Memorial website, marking the first official acknowledgment of military casualties from the conflict, The Hindu reported.
The delayed disclosure has intensified political criticism, with Congress leaders accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of withholding information about the casualties for more than a year.
At a press conference on Monday, Congress Ex-Servicemen Department Chairperson Colonel (Retd) Rohit Chaudhry and Wing Commander (Retd) Anuma Acharya alleged that the government had concealed the deaths of the six personnel and demanded Rajnath Singh's removal from office.
Chaudhry also called on Prime Minister Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers to apologize for what he described as supporting the defence minister's "false statements" in Parliament.
"When Rajnath Singh told Parliament that no soldiers had been lost, BJP members applauded him," Chaudhry said, according to The Hindu. He accused the ruling party of exploiting the armed forces for political gain while failing to be transparent about military casualties.
Questioning the delay in releasing the names of the fallen personnel, Chaudhry said the Modi government had no justification for withholding the information for 13 months and accused it of eroding public trust through a lack of transparency.
The Indian government has not publicly responded to the latest allegations. The issue has added to an increasingly heated political debate over the handling of the 2025 military confrontation with Pakistan and the government's disclosure of information related to the conflict.
