PUNE: Former Maharashtra (Indian state) Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday admitted that the Indian Air Force (IAF) was grounded after suffering losses on the first day of Operation Sindoor.
Speaking in Pune on Tuesday, as reported by ANI, former Maharashtra CM Chavan said that India faced a complete setback during the initial phase of the operation Sindoor. “On the first day, we were completely defeated. In the half-hour aerial engagement that took place on the 7th, we were fully defeated, whether people accept it or not,” he clarified.
Pune: Former Maharashtra CM and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan says, “On the first day (of Operation Sindoor) we were completely defeated. In the half-hour aerial engagement that took place on the 7th, we were fully defeated, whether people accept it or not. Indian… pic.twitter.com/3JRROmLoJh
— ANI (@ANI) December 16, 2025
He alleged that Indian aircraft were shot down and that the Air Force did not carry out any further sorties. “The Air Force was completely grounded, and not a single aircraft flew. If any aircraft had taken off from Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa, there was a high probability of being shot down by Pakistan, which is why the Air Force was fully grounded,” Chavan claimed.
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