NEW DELHI: Former Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday stirred a controversy after he criticised the government for not taking a stand after the US captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, saying such an incident could also happen to India.“Whatever has happened in Venezuela is against the UN Charter. An elected president has been kidnapped. It’s a very grave concern that it could happen to any other country tomorrow. Tomorrow it can happen to India,” Chavan said.
“India has not spoken as usual, not taken a stand on the Venezuela matter. Russia and China have taken a stand and criticised what America has done. The same thing happened in the Ukraine war. We did not take any side. We did not take a stand on the Israel-Hamas matter, and now here we are, so scared of Americans that we are not even trying to criticise what has happened,” he added.This comes after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured in Caracas and flown out of the country on Saturday in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement.Subsequently, the ministry of external affairs reiterated India’s support for the safety and well-being of people in Venezuela as the situation in the country remains tense amid US strikes. “Recent developments in Venezuela are a matter of deep concern. We are closely monitoring the evolving situation,” the MEA said in a statement.“We call upon all concerned to address issues peacefully through dialogue, ensuring peace and stability in the region. The Embassy of India in Caracas is in contact with members of the Indian community and will continue to provide all possible assistance,” it added.Meanwhile, this is not the first time Chavan has made headlines for controversial remarks. Earlier in December, Chavan claimed that India was defeated on the first day of Operation Sindoor and that Indian aircraft were shot down during the four-day conflict.“On the first day (of Operation Sindoor), we were completely defeated. In the half-hour aerial engagement that took place on the 7th, we were fully defeated, whether people accept it or not. Indian aircraft were shot down. The Air Force was completely grounded, and not a single aircraft flew. If any aircraft had taken off from Gwalior, Bathinda, or Sirsa, there was a high probability of being shot down by Pakistan, which is why the Air Force was fully grounded,” the Congress leader said.Later, Chavan refused to apologise for his controversial statement and said, “Why will I apologise? It is out of the question. The Constitution gives me the right to ask questions.”