Key Points:
- Calls Rafale jets inferior to Pakistan’s Chinese-made aircraft
- Accuses Modi government of covering up corruption in the Rafale deal
- Pakistan’s Operation Bunyanum Marsoos dealt a decisive blow to India’s air power.
ISLAMABAD: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former member of the Rajya Sabha—the upper house of the Indian Parliament—Subramanian Swamy has conceded that the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) decisively downed five Indian Air Force jets during a recent military standoff.
He further acknowledged that any real investigation into the incident is improbable while Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds the reins in New Delhi.
In an interview, Swamy revealed that Indian aircraft were overwhelmed in direct dogfights, with Pakistani jets—bolstered by cutting-edge Chinese technology, proving far superior to India’s much-publicised French-made Rafale fighters.
Pakistan downed five of our jets. They used Chinese planes—very effective—while we had Rafales, which didn’t live up to expectations – Subramanian Swamy.
He did not stop at tactical shortcomings. Swamy threw the spotlight on deep-rooted corruption, claiming that the Rafale procurement scandal remains buried under layers of political protection. “Corruption occurred in the Rafale deal, and as long as Modi remains in power, no inquiry will ever see the light of day,” he asserted.
His remarks come in the wake of a fierce military flare-up between the two nuclear-armed neighbours, triggered by an unverified Indian accusation against Pakistan over an attack in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. What followed was a swift and formidable Pakistani response.
Swamy urged Prime Minister Modi to shatter the wall of silence and come clean with the nation about the grim reality behind the lost jets. “The people of India deserve the truth about how and why our aircraft were destroyed,” he declared, calling on the government to lay bare the facts and confront growing public unease over the state of the air force and the glaring lack of accountability.
He emphasised that national security cannot be cloaked in secrecy, and that transparency is now a duty, not a choice.
Skies under siege
In a show of sheer tactical brilliance and operational superiority, Pakistan’s armed forces unleashed Operation Bunyanum Marsoos, striking deep across Indian positions. In a matter of days, six Indian fighter jets—including three of the prized Rafales—and dozens of reconnaissance drones were blasted out of the sky, shattering India’s air superiority narrative.
The aerial engagements, lasting nearly four days, ended on May 10 after US mediation brought about a ceasefire. However, the outcome left no doubt: Pakistan had seized control of the skies.
Huge 🚨
Senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy says 5 Indian aircraft shot down by Pakistan.
I hope modi comes out and clear this thing infront of the nation.
We need to hear the truth. pic.twitter.com/Z9GJxnl38X
— Anum Fatima (@UnumFatima) May 30, 2025
Earlier, when questioned about the embarrassing aerial losses, Indian Air Marshal AK Bharti offered a curt and evasive reply, calling losses “part of combat” and declining further comment.
The silence from Indian leadership has only deepened suspicions, especially in the absence of transparent debriefings.
United in defence
Back in Pakistan, the ISPR confirmed that while 53 lives were lost due to Indian strikes—including 13 military personnel—the country stood united and victorious in its defence, having inflicted a strategic and symbolic blow to its eastern neighbour.
From political corridors to the skies above, the recent conflict marks a defining moment where Pakistan’s steel-nerved strategy and superior airpower eclipsed India’s boasts—and exposed the vulnerabilities hiding behind New Delhi’s Rafale-fuelled bravado.
