Oppn continues targeting govt over Pahalgaam attack

Opposition lawmakers in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday continued to question the government on the terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22 and Operation Sindoor, the military offensive launched against Pakistan in its wake, seeking explanations on how terrorists infiltrated into the federal territory and why intelligence authorities failed to detect them.

- Zia Haq

Prominent lawmaker Kapil Sibal, an independent, said the government needed to answer the air force's concerns made in public about the paucity of fighter jets and equipment, which, he said, compromised the country’s military capabilities.

“In October 2024, air chief marshal Amar Preet Singh addressed the air force's declining squadron strength, which had reached 31, the lowest since 1965,” Sibal said. Sibal cited the air chief as saying that “we are committed to fighting with whatever we have” and said: “This is the state of our air force.” Questioning the country’s defence preparedness, Sibal said India’s Rafale jets were “4.5 generation” fighters. “China has announced launching a sixth-generation fighter in 2025 while we are looking for a fifth-generation aircraft in 2035.”