Indian official opens up on corruption in Rafale deal, confirms loss of jets Sharply criticises Modi

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy has publicly acknowledged that Pakistan shot down five Indian Air Force (IAF) jets during the recent military confrontation between the two countries.

In a candid interview, Swamy claimed that Indian jets were outmatched in air-to-air combat, primarily due to the use of superior Chinese-made fighter jets by Pakistan, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

“Pakistan downed five of our planes. They used Chinese planes to down our planes, which were French,” Swamy revealed. “The Chinese planes were good, but the French were not. Rafale is not up to the mark as per India’s needs,” he added, criticising the performance of the highly-touted Rafale jets.

Swamy also leveled serious accusations regarding the integrity of the Rafale deal, alleging corruption in the procurement process. 

“Corruption happened in Rafale which won’t be investigated till Modi is the PM,” he stated firmly.

The BJP leader expressed deep dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency and accountability within the Indian leadership. 

“With Modi in power, no discussions or investigations will happen about how and why those jets were downed,” Swamy said, suggesting that an official probe into the losses was unlikely under the current administration.

The latest military clash between India and Pakistan was sparked by a deadly attack in Jammu and Kashmir last month that resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists. India has accused Pakistan of being behind the attack.

In response, Pakistan launched a large-scale retaliatory operation earlier in May, dubbed "Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos," targeting several Indian military installations across multiple regions. According to Pakistan’s military spokesperson (ISPR), the operation resulted in the downing of six Indian fighter jets — including three Rafales — as well as dozens of surveillance drones.

The conflict, which lasted for more than 87 hours, concluded on May 10 with a ceasefire agreement brokered by the United States. Pakistan reported that 53 people — including 13 military personnel and 40 civilians — were killed during Indian strikes in the confrontation.

By Sabina Mammadli