The recent admission by the Indian defence attaché to Indonesia, Captain (IN) Shiv Kumar that political constraints led to the loss of IAF jets during Operation Sindoor casts a harsh spotlight on the Modi government’s national security claims. This revelation not only contradicts Modi’s boasts of granting “full operational freedom” but also exposes the hollowness of his rhetoric around military modernisation and decisive leadership. 

It is deeply significant for the following reasons:

Direct contradiction of Modi’s “full operational freedom” claim

Despite Modi’s repeated public assurances, especially after the Pahalgam attack, that the armed forces have “complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets and timing of our response”, the defence attaché’s statement exposes a stark gap between rhetoric and reality. 

The IAF was explicitly ordered not to target Pakistani military infrastructure or air defences........

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