In a rare admission, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy acknowledged Pakistan’s decisive air superiority during recent hostilities, confirming that Indian forces lost five fighter jets to Pakistan’s military.
During a televised interview, Swamy revealed Pakistani pilots operating Chinese-made aircraft successfully engaged and downed French-origin Rafale jets used by India. "Pakistan downed five of our planes. Their Chinese planes outperformed our French ones," he stated, adding a sharp critique of India’s Rafale fleet: "The Rafale is not up to mark for India’s needs."
Swamy further alleged deep-seated corruption in India’s Rafale procurement process, asserting investigations were being suppressed under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration. "Corruption happened in Rafale, which won’t be investigated till Modi is PM," he declared. He also dismissed prospects for accountability, noting, "With Modi in power, no discussions or investigations will happen about how and why those jets were downed."
The conflict erupted after India accused Pakistan of involvement in a May 6 attack on tourists in Pahalgam, Indian-occupied Kashmir—allegations Islamabad vehemently denied, citing India’s failure to provide evidence. Pakistan responded with Operation Bunyan-um-Marsoos, a precision retaliation targeting Indian military installations. The operation saw Pakistan down six Indian aircraft, including three Rafales, alongside dozens of drones, demonstrating strategic capability.
After 87 hours of intense clashes, a U.S.-brokered ceasefire took effect on May 10. While Indian Air Marshal AK Bharti vaguely acknowledged "losses are part of combat," Pakistan’s ISPR reported 53 fatalities—including 13 soldiers and 40 civilians—from Indian strikes.