ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: In a rare and candid revelation, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy has admitted that Pakistan downed five Indian Air Force (IAF) jets during the recent military escalation between the two countries.
Speaking in a media interview, Swamy acknowledged that the Indian aircraft were defeated in air combat, attributing the losses to the superior performance of Chinese fighter jets used by Pakistan. He contrasted this with the underwhelming performance of India’s French-made Rafale jets.
“Pakistan downed five of our aircraft. They used Chinese jets, which outperformed ours. The Rafales didn’t meet expectations,” Swamy stated, directly criticizing the much-hyped Rafale deal. “The Chinese jets were effective; the French ones were not.”
Swamy went further, alleging corruption in the Rafale procurement process. “There was corruption in the Rafale deal, but it won’t be investigated as long as Modi is in power,” he asserted, suggesting that transparency and accountability are being suppressed under the current government.
Addressing the broader lack of inquiry into the IAF losses, Swamy said, “With Modi as Prime Minister, don’t expect any open discussions or investigations into how and why these aircraft were shot down.”
The recent military clash was sparked by a deadly attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), which killed 26 tourists. India blamed Pakistan for the attack without presenting evidence, further inflaming tensions.
In response, Pakistan launched a retaliatory operation, “Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos”, targeting multiple Indian military installations. According to reports, Pakistan shot down six Indian fighter jets—three of them Rafales—and destroyed numerous drones. The conflict ended on May 10 after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire.
Indian Air Marshal AK Bharti, when asked about the aircraft losses, offered a vague response, stating, “Losses are a part of combat,” and declined to provide further information, citing operational security.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s military, through the ISPR, reported that 53 people were martyred in Indian strikes during the hostilities, including 13 military personnel and 40 civilians.
