New Delhi, May 31 (UNI) The Congress while alleging a "lack of clarity" over the loss of fighter aircraft during the India-Pakistan conflict, has demanded the government come out clean on the issue.

"The fact that our fighter aircraft were downed is something the Government must stop denying,” Telangana government minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said at a press conference here.

"The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) himself acknowledged this, and Air Marshal Bharti had mentioned it indirectly during his briefing alongside the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO), noting that 'losses are normal in combat," Reddy, a former fighter pilot of the Indian Air Force said.

Emphasising that the Congress stands firmly behind the Indian armed forces, Reddy said, “We support our armed forces in every endeavour and congratulate them. Our armed forces have done a great job and we are proud of them and salute them”.

Supporting Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s concerns over the government's handling of the aftermath, Reddy pointed out that when Rahul Gandhi first questioned the government's narrative, the ruling BJP launched a "negative campaign" against him, instead of addressing the concerns substantively.

Reddy alleged that the country must realise today that for some reason the government was not upfront with whatever happened.

He further said, "The other thing that needs reassessment by the government of India is that most of the firing in the four-day operation was done by respective countries from within their international borders; still, we lost our aircraft. This needs serious reassessment of technology so that lessons are learnt and we improve in those aspects".

Reddy also questioned the alleged diplomatic sequence of the ceasefire, especially the role played by the US President Donald Trump.

"Why did the US President first announce the ceasefire through a tweet, and hours later DGMO Pakistan called up his Indian counterpart, and the ceasefire was agreed upon," he asked.

Demanding full transparency, Reddy asked the government to disclose every significant event that took place throughout the Indo-Pak operation.

UNI RBE PRS