NEW DELHI: In a rare and candid statement, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy has admitted that Pakistan shot down five Indian Air Force (IAF) jets during a recent military confrontation between the two nations.Speaking during a media interview, Swamy attributed the losses to the superior performance of Chinese-made aircraft used by Pakistan, which he said outmatched the French-made Rafale jets deployed by India.
“Pakistan downed five of our planes. They used Chinese planes to down our planes, which were French,” Swamy said. He went on to criticize the capabilities of the Rafale jets, stating, “The Chinese planes were good, but the French were not. Rafale is not up to the mark as per India’s needs.”Swamy also made serious allegations regarding the Rafale procurement process, suggesting corruption in the deal. “Corruption happened in Rafale which won’t be investigated till Modi is the PM,” he said, indicating that the current political leadership would not allow any inquest into the matter.
Further expressing his concerns over the lack of transparency and accountability within the government, Swamy said, “With Modi in power, no discussions or investigations will happen about how and why those jets were downed.”
The latest tensions between India and Pakistan were triggered by a deadly incident in India-ccupied Jammu and Kashmir last month, which claimed the lives of 26 tourists. India blamed Pakistan for the attack, although no public evidence has been presented to support the allegation.In response to the Indian attack, Pakistan launched a military action named ‘Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos’. Pakistan downed its six fighter jets, including three Rafale, and dozens of drones.
