Indian Navy Chief ‘blamed’ government for stopping action during Operation Sindoor? PIB fact checks viral claim

As per the PIB, multiple videos with the false claims were being circulated by Pakistan-linked accounts.

What does the fake video claim?

The fake videos doing the rounds falsely claimed that during his address in Visakhapatnam, Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi said that the Indian Army wanted to continue the strikes during Operation Sindoor further, but the government did not permit – which resulted in “heavy losses for the Indian Air Force.”

Calling it propaganda, the PIB’s Fact-checking unit clarified that Admiral Tripathi made no such statement.

The clip is a “digitally altered,” the PIB said.

“Some Pakistan-supported accounts are spreading a digitally manipulated video of Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, showing him accusing the government of halting action during #OperationSindoor, and claiming it caused harm to the Indian Air Force,” the PIB Fact Check team posted on X.

The fact-checking unit also provided a link to the video of the Navy Chief’s actual speech.

In the early hours of May 7, India’s Army, Navy, and Air Force carried out a joint strike, targeting terror beds across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as part of Operation Sindoor.

What did the Navy Chief say?

Contrary to the fake video, Admiral Tripathy emphasised India’s military readiness and assertiveness during Operation Sindoor.

Speaking in Visakhapatnam during the commissioning of two new Indian Navy frigates, INS Udaygiri and INS Himgiri, he noted that India’s assertive posture during the operation had effectively restrained the Pakistani Navy, ultimately compelling them to seek a ceasefire.

“In this era of uncertainties and competition, Indian Navy’s capability to deliver an overwhelming force at sea is a credible deterrence against India’s enemies. We demonstrated it well during Operation Sindoor,” he said.