PANJIM: Shripad Naik a former Minister of State for Defence, mocked Capt Virato an ex-Navy officer, who has taken part in the Kargil war theatre. While Naik is the BJP candidate in North Goa, Viriato is contesting against Naik’s colleague in South Goa Pallavi Dempo.
Addressing his election meeting in the North Goa constituency, Naik said, “There is a South Goa candidate (Capt Viriato Fernandes of Congress) who calls himself Captain. Perhaps he was a Captain but I have doubts about it. He is talking about the Kargil war. But I don't know whether there is sea at Kargil,” he remarked.
The Navy’s role in the Kargil war was called Operation Talwar which I was a part of: Capt Viriato
Navy man and Cong South Goa candidate launches fact-based counter offensive to Shripad Naik's jibes
PANJIM: South Goa Congress candidate capt Viriato Fernandes on Tuesday stated that he played a role during Kargil war in 1999 in a conversation with a local TV network.
Capt Viriato said that he passed out as a mechanical engineer from Goa Engineering College in 1991 and on August 12 in the same year he joined INS Mandovi, Verem. From there he was shifted to INS Shivaji at Lonavala where he did marine engineering specialisation for two years.
After that he was appointed INS Ranjit, a Russian destroyer and later he went as senior engineer of INS Anjadip.
“I was fascinated with aviation. In 1993-94, I did my aeronautical specialisation from Cochin, where I specialised in flying the Chetak helicopters, Sea Harriers and Donier aircrafts. So when I completed my aeronautical specialisation I got an appointment in INS Hansa Goa as air engineering officer of INAS 310. It was called the Cobras.”
“When Pokhran-II happened, I was sent to the Indo-Pak border to conduct aerial reconnaissance because tension was very high between India and our neighbouring country. We kept a watch on the enemy and its aircrafts. Another unit was set up at Cochin for the Dornier aircraft. It was called Flying Fish,” he said.
“When I went to Cochin, I was blessed with a girl child. My daughter was just six months old. The atmosphere was tense due to the war. In the first week of June we had to report for duty. I left my wife and daughter behind and went,” he said.
It may be noted that all the three services were involved during the Kargil conflict. While the Army and the Air Force were deployed in the battle theatre to dislodge the intruders, under code name Operation Vijay and Operation Safed Sagar, the navy was operating under code name Operation Talwar.
The Navy's primary role was to ensure blockade of logistical support for Pakistan on the Arabian Sea from the Arab countries, especially crude oil.
“I was serving in INAS 550, the oldest air squadron of the Indian navy, called the Flying Fish. We were operating along with the IAF. The Navy played a critical role in putting a blockade around Pakistan to stop its supplies from reaching its troops. We choked them. The merchant ships were not allowed to come with cargo. Lack of logistical support played a key role in the defeat of Pakistani army during Kargil war,” he reminisced.