News Desk
NEW DEHLI: Former Indian army officer and defence analyst Praveen Sawhney has called for the resignation of India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chohan, after the general admitted that Indian fighter jets were lost to the Pakistani Air Force during recent aerial clashes.
Sawhney criticized the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the Indian Air Force has been in decline since Modi took office in 2014. He argued that India needs leadership that truly understands modern warfare, and described claims of success in operations such as ‘Sundar’ as inconsistent with the reality of lost aircraft.
The controversy erupted after General Chohan confirmed that Indian jets were downed in clashes on the nights of 6 and 7 May, an admission that sparked political uproar across India. “Now that Anil Chohan has acknowledged the damage to fighter jets, he should resign,” Sawhney said. He further urged Modi’s government either to appoint a qualified Air Force officer as Chief of Defence Staff or to abolish the position altogether.
Sawhney accused Chohan of lacking a strategic understanding of war and warned that in any conflict with Pakistan, air superiority would be decisive. He lamented that the Indian Air Force appears to have lost direction under Modi’s administration, a decline that began with former Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha and continued under his successors.
According to Sawhney, India requires leadership that appreciates the evolving demands of military power amid shifting global geopolitics, rather than political theatrics centered on operations like ‘Sundar’. Opposition parties have seized on Chohan’s admission to criticize the government. The Congress party accused Modi’s administration of misleading the nation and ignoring repeated calls from then US President Donald Trump for a ceasefire.
