IAF chief hails Operation Sindoor, says force has drawn up roadmap to enhance combat capabilities
New Delhi (PTI): India launched Operation Sindoor with a clear aim and the termination of the conflict in quick time after the objective was met is a lesson for the world to learn from, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal AP Singh said on Friday.
At a press conference ahead of the Air Force Day, the Air Chief Marshal also said the his force has drawn up a Roadmap 2047 to enhance its combat capabilities.
Delving into various aspects of Operation Sindoor, he said it was a reflection of tri-services synergy.
Asked about Pakistan's losses during Operation Sindoor, he said in the air we have evidence of one long-range strike of Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) and four to five fighters.
Pakistan's losses included radars, command and control centres, runways and hangars, he said.
In response to the April 22 Pahalgam attack, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting terror infrastructure in territories controlled by Pakistan.
The strikes triggered four days of intense clashes that ended with an understanding on stopping the military actions on May 10.
To a question, the IAF chief said all three services have started working on the 'Sudarshan Chakra' air defence system.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15 announced the project to develop an indigenous air defence system to protect India's vital military and civilian installations and to deliver a decisive response to any enemy threat
Asked if the IAF was looking at procuring more S-400 air defence missiles, the Air Chief Marshal didn't give a direct reply but said the platform proved to be a good one.
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Kolkata Port: Decline in number of voters during SIR brings in uncertainty in TMC bastion
Kolkata (PTI): A sharp decline in the number of voters following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has injected an element of uncertainty into the Kolkata Port Assembly constituency, considered a safe seat for the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
The electorate in the south Kolkata constituency has dropped from 2.36 lakh in the 2021 Assembly polls to around 1.75 lakh, a fall of nearly 26 per cent, prompting political parties to closely assess its potential impact on the April 29 polling.
The TMC re-nominated senior minister and Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim, who has held the seat for two consecutive terms, while the BJP fielded Rakesh Singh. The Congress nominated Aquib Gulzar, and the CPI(M) put up Faiyaz Ahmad Khan, making it a four-cornered contest.
Kolkata Port, part of the Kolkata Dakshin parliamentary constituency, comprises dock areas, old business districts and densely populated neighbourhoods. Muslim voters form a significant segment of the electorate, alongside traders, transport workers and working-class Hindu families.
The reduction in voter numbers has prompted party workers across formations to scrutinise the revised rolls booth-wise to identify deletions and assess whether specific localities have been affected.
Singh’s candidature has added a twist to the contest. He had earlier contested against Hakim as a Congress candidate but is now in the fray on a BJP ticket.
Hakim won the seat in 2016 by 26,548 votes, defeating Singh, and increased his margin significantly to 68,554 votes in 2021, polling over one lakh votes.
While the TMC has expressed confidence in retaining the seat, opposition parties have raised concerns over the voter list revision, alleging that names of genuine voters have been removed.
“People here know who has stood by them. Elections are decided by trust,” Hakim told PTI during a campaign event.
Singh claimed several residents had complained about missing names in the rolls, stressing the need for transparency. The CPI(M) nominee also said voters in several areas had raised similar concerns.
The constituency has remained a difficult terrain for the opposition in recent elections.
Civic issues such as sanitation, traffic congestion and declining business activity in traditional markets also feature in the campaign in the constituency, though the revised voter list has emerged as a key talking point.
Polling in the constituency will be held in the second phase on April 29, with counting scheduled for May 4.
