top of page

By:

Correspondent

21 August 2024 at 3:50:16 pm

Static Warfare

Maharashtra’s politics has long resembled a murky theatrical production, but its latest act has descended into farce. A purported audio recording released by Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, allegedly discussing a staggering Rs. 500-crore payment routed to him through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has plunged the ruling Mahayuti into fresh turmoil. While the recording’s authenticity remains unverified, the political fallout has...

Static Warfare

Maharashtra’s politics has long resembled a murky theatrical production, but its latest act has descended into farce. A purported audio recording released by Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, allegedly discussing a staggering Rs. 500-crore payment routed to him through Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has plunged the ruling Mahayuti into fresh turmoil. While the recording’s authenticity remains unverified, the political fallout has already exposed the fissures beneath the coalition’s carefully cultivated façade of unity. The first imperative is to establish the facts. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has ordered a forensic examination of the recording, including the identities of the speakers and the circumstances in which it was made. The investigation must go beyond determining whether the audio has been manipulated. Its provenance, completeness, context and circulation must also be established. The allegations are extraordinary. Jarange claims that the purported conversation points to efforts to blunt his influence ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections, when his agitation for Maratha reservation had become a significant political force. The recording allegedly refers to Rs. 500 crore being delivered through Shrikant Shinde. Both Eknath Shinde and his son have rejected the allegations, with the latter responding sarcastically that the money never reached him. Jarange, for his part, has denied receiving the sum and demanded an investigation. The recording has surfaced nearly two years after the alleged conversation, reportedly dating to October 2024. Fadnavis has himself questioned why it has emerged now and who stands to benefit. The allegations have become a test of trust within the Mahayuti itself. The BJP and the Shinde-led Shiv Sena remain partners in government, but their relationship is hardly free of friction. Shinde’s transition from chief minister to deputy chief minister after the 2024 Assembly election underscored the BJP’s ascendancy within the alliance. The latest controversy has revived questions about whether competing ambitions and suspicions are undermining the partnership. The danger lies in the ease with which political intrigue can displace governance. An allegation involving Rs. 500 crore is not a routine exchange of partisan accusations. If substantiated, it would raise grave questions about the use of money to influence a social movement and electoral outcomes. The Maratha reservation agitation has had profound consequences for Maharashtra’s social equilibrium. To reduce such a movement to an instrument of electoral management, if that is what occurred, would be a serious indictment of the political establishment. There is a further question that Maharashtra’s political class must confront: why does every major public controversy so quickly become a contest over factional survival? The state’s politics has grown increasingly transactional, shaped by shifting loyalties and the compulsions of coalition management. The government must therefore ensure that the inquiry is independent in substance, not merely forensic in name.

On Operation Safed Sagar anniversary, IAF highlights role of air power in Kargil and now

PTI
May 26, 2025
2 min read


The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Monday marked the anniversary of Operation Safed Sagar, which was launched during the 1999 Kargil War between India and Pakistan.


The IAF stated that the operation aimed at “flushing out Pakistani regulars and intruders” who had taken control of Indian positions along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kargil sector of Jammu and Kashmir.


“This was the first large-scale use of air power in the Kashmir region since the 1971 Indo-Pak war. Never before had an air force been tasked with such high-altitude precision operations in rugged mountainous terrain – making it a watershed moment in military aviation history,” the Air Force said in a post on X.


The IAF said Operation Safed Sagar involved the use of aircraft such as Mirage 2000s, MiG-21s, Mi-17s, Jaguars, MiG-23s, MiG-27s, Chetak helicopters, and MiG-29s, and described the mission as a “trailblazer” in many ways.


“It saw air power employed in unconventional roles, demonstrated the effectiveness of limited use of air assets in a localised conflict, and shattered the long-held notion that use of air power would inevitably escalate into full-scale war,” the post read.


“The operation not only showcased the versatility and resolve of the Indian Air Force but also established the deterrent value of calibrated air strikes – even in a low-intensity conflict. It proved that air power could decisively alter the course of battle without crossing international boundaries,” it added.


The Kargil War lasted for nearly three months on the icy heights of the Kargil mountains. It began in May 1999 when Pakistani troops and terrorists occupied peaks in the Kargil sector.


In response, India launched Operation Vijay to reclaim the occupied territory and successfully regained control by July 26 – a date now commemorated as Kargil Vijay Diwas.


The anniversary of Operation Safed Sagar comes just days after the Indian armed forces carried out strikes on Pakistani air bases.


India targeted these air bases in response to Pakistan’s drone and missile attacks that were aimed at civilian areas and military infrastructure in India’s western sector. These attacks came after Operation Sindoor, which was launched in retaliation for a deadly terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, last month.


Operation Sindoor

India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7, targeting multiple terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 civilians.


The Indian armed forces destroyed nine terror camps belonging to groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), and Hizbul Mujahideen, killing over 100 terrorists.


Following these overnight operations by Indian forces, Pakistan responded with drone and missile attacks on India’s western regions. However, the Indian military successfully intercepted them. In return, India struck selected military targets deep inside Pakistan.


After four days of heavy cross-border drone and missile exchanges, both countries agreed to a ceasefire last Saturday, bringing immediate halt to military actions.

Comments

bottom of page