New Delhi, 29 June (H.S.): The Congress on Monday criticised the Central Government and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh over the disclosure of the names of six soldiers martyred during Operation Sindoor, alleging that their identities were made public only after a delay of 13 months. The party's Ex-Servicemen Department Chairman, Colonel Rohit Chaudhary (Retd.), accused the Defence Minister of providing incorrect information in Parliament and neglecting the sacrifices of the fallen soldiers.

Addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters, Colonel Chaudhary alleged that Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had informed Parliament that there had been no military casualties during Operation Sindoor. However, he claimed that the government subsequently released the names of six soldiers who had laid down their lives during the operation.

He alleged that the 13-month delay in making the names public amounted to a serious lapse and demanded the resignation of the Defence Minister. He also said the Congress would move a privilege motion against Rajnath Singh, alleging that Parliament had been misled. He further demanded an apology from the government and Members of Parliament belonging to the ruling party.

Colonel Chaudhary also alleged that the government did not grant the armed forces complete operational freedom during Operation Sindoor. He criticised the government's foreign policy, claiming it had enabled Pakistan to secure loans from international financial institutions and had allowed it to retain responsibilities related to monitoring terrorist organisations. He also reiterated the Congress party's demand for the withdrawal of the Agniveer recruitment scheme.

Meanwhile, the Central Government has included the names of the six soldiers martyred during Operation Sindoor in the 'Roll of Honour' at the National War Memorial. Their names will now be permanently inscribed on the memorial's main wall, known as the 'Tyag Chakra'. The names of the six personnel, who were killed in the line of duty during Operation Sindoor in 2025, were engraved on the memorial wall in New Delhi on June 26.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar