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Chandigarh: The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) grand aerobatic display on May 11 over the Somnath Temple, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to mark 75 years of the reconstruction of one of Hinduism’s holiest shrines, has drawn concern from a cross-section of veterans and some serving officers, who view the event as a troubling overlap between religion, politics, and the armed forces.

Conducted alongside elaborate religious rituals, the spectacle by the IAF’s Surya Kiran Aerobatic Team (SKAT) went beyond ceremonial patriotism, reflecting a deeper and increasingly visible trend in which the military is being drawn into overt forms of religious signalling.

And, while the aerial display thrilled crowds, generated dramatic visuals, and was widely broadcast across television and social media platforms, critics argued that the visible deployment of military assets at an overtly religious event risked undermining the armed forces’ secular and politically neutral character as envisaged in their institutional foundations.

‘Not extended to other faiths’

Many veterans said that if such overt military symbolism at Somnath is considered acceptable for the religious sentiments of the majority community, then the same principle should logically extend to other faiths as well. 

“In that case, similar fighter jet aerobatics, helicopter flower showers, and military displays would also be deemed appropriate at comparable events over major mosques, gurdwaras, churches, and Buddhist shrines across India,” said a retired three-star Indian Army officer, requesting anonymity. 

“If such practices are not extended to other faiths,” he said, “the state and the military are effectively signalling unequal religious proximity; and if this logic is carried forward, the armed forces risk being progressively drawn into competitive religious symbolism – something fundamentally incompatible with the principles of a secular republic and a politically non-sectarian military,” he added.

Such criticism has been further sharpened by the timing of the aerobatics spectacle.

It comes amid a tightening global oil market, energy disruptions linked to West Asia instability, and the ongoing US-Israel-Iran conflict, which has strained regional energy flows. As a result, aviation fuel costs have risen, adding to higher airfares and mounting operational pressures across the aviation sector.

Against this backdrop, veterans also questioned the allocation of increasingly scarce aviation fuel for Monday’s non-operational aerobatic display. They further argue that such actions sit uneasily alongside recent public appeals by Modi for fuel conservation at a time of external energy stress and impending domestic economic hardship. One three-star IAF veteran even went so far as to describe the Somnath aerobatic display as a “severe misalignment” between public messaging on austerity and the optics of a high-cost aerial display conducted during an explicitly religious celebration.

 Also read: Modi Urges Austerity on Indians While Jetting Across States, Addressing BJP Rallies, Doing Roadshows

As for the event itself, the IAF’s........

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