Indian Navy Hits Back at Chinese Media For Levelling 'Unprofessionalism' Charge Over INS Vikramaditya Mishap

New Delhi, May 1: The Indian Navy has struck back at the Chinese state media which levelled "unprofessionalism" charge against it over the fire mishap at INS Vikramaditya which claimed the life of one serving officer. Navy spokesperson Captain DK Sharma said the Indian naval forces are known for maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, adding that one unfortunate accident could not deteriorate its image.

A fire erupted onboard the INS Vikramaditya close to the Karwar coast of Karnataka on last Friday. In the operation to douse off the flames, Lt. Cdr. DS Chauhan, who was part of the crew, suffered fatal injuries. More About INS Vikramaditya Fire

"The recent and unfortunate incident of a loss of an officer on a frontline ship will be viewed by the IN [Indian Navy] along these lines and the service will take all steps to emerge stronger from it," HT quoted Captain Sharma as saying.

The Chinese nationalist tabloid, The Global Times, which is controlled by China's ruling Communist Party, published an article which blamed the Indian Navy's "lax regulatory" measures and below par training of serving personnel as the reason behind the unfortunate accident.

The daily quoted a Beijing-based naval expert who described the tragedy as one based on human error and not mechanical failure. "The fire and the extinguishing process suggested that they are unprofessional and unprepared to address such an emergency," he said.

Li further claimed that India is rapidly expanding its military fleet, but not taking adequate measures to improve its "lax military culture" and "loose" set of regulations, apart from not imparting top-level training to service personnel to combat emergencies.

His claim has been countered by the Indian Navy spokesperson, who said that the naval forces of New Delhi adhere to the "highest level of professionalism".

prides itself on the highest level of professionalism it maintains while operating a variety of high performance platforms on the frontline, ranging from aircraft carrier groups to nuclear submarine. "World is testimony to its standing as a highly competent and trained force that collaborates widely to enhance regional security. Its training infrastructure and processes have been acknowledged in the region as being of the highest standards," he said.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 01, 2019 12:46 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).