NEW DELHI: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday intensified his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and reiterated his party’s demand for a special session of Parliament on Operation Sindoor. “We must know when to speak what. There should be unity in national matters and a focus on defeating our opponents,” Kharge said. “All leaders across the country should remain silent regarding matters of national security. It’s better to understand what has happened before speaking about it.”Kharge’s remarks came a day after Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan said that India had suffered losses during the recent war with Pakistan but dismissed Islamabad’s claim of downing six Indian jets as “absolutely incorrect”.Also read: India lost jets but changed tactics to hit Pakistan hard: CDSKharge also criticised what he called the political framing of the conflict, and said that PM Modi should “refrain from giving election speeches”: “There should be no election campaign before the delegation reports are out. PM Modi should refrain from giving election speeches. There is no need for self-praise. The entire nation stands with our armed forces.”Pointing to PM Modi’s earlier statement that the military had full operational freedom, Kharge said, “PM Modi had earlier said that he had given full authority to the army, so why is he speaking again now? The Prime Minister should not make self-glorifying speeches.”Kharge further accused the government of “misleading the nation” and said, “Let’s convene Parliament and talk. Even Pakistan has convened its Parliament and is holding discussions.”Earlier on on May 31, Kharge had also called for an independent strategic review of defence preparedness. “Congress party demands a Comprehensive Review of our Defence Preparedness by an independent expert committee, on the lines of the Kargil Review Committee,” he said.Following the attack in Pahalgam, India launched precision strikes targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The Indian military also repelled Pakistani aggression and struck back, pounding enemy airbases in a show of decisive military dominance.According to a Reuters report citing Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan, India asserted its superiority in a brief but intense conflict earlier this month. The strikes penetrated deep into Pakistani territory, destroying key enemy infrastructure including radar systems and airbases. Speaking at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, Gen Chauhan stated, “On May 7 and the initial stages, there were losses… but we rectified the tactics and then went back… to hit their bases deep inside Pakistan, penetrated all their defences with impunity.”On May 10, Indian jets, drones, and missiles struck 11 Pakistani airbases, including Nur Khan near Islamabad. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the strike as creating a “new dawn” during his address at Adampur airbase. Satellite imagery later confirmed the accuracy and impact of the strikes.