“Pakistan shot down five Indian jets:” Senior BJP leader admits loss in Operation Sindoor

Senior BJP leader and former Indian minister Subramanian Swamy has admitted that Pakistan shot down five Indian fighter jets on May 8 during one of the largest dogfights in modern military history. This rare acknowledgment from a prominent member of India’s ruling party stands as yet another strong indication of India’s defeat.

In a recent interview, Swamy stated, “Pakistan’s jets destroyed five jets.” He further claimed that while China was not directly involved in the fighting, it played a key role by supplying advanced aircraft to Pakistan. “China provided superb jets to them,” he said.

Swamy also criticised India’s much-hyped French-made Rafale jets, saying, “Rafale is not up to the mark as per India’s needs.” He alleged corruption in the Rafale deal, adding, “Corruption happened in Rafale, which won’t be investigated till Modi is the PM.”

Big : BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy said that India lost 5 Aircraft in the Indo Pak clash.

No one from BJP has come out to refute this statement, no one has filed any case against Swami and no one is calling him Anti National.

Imagine if an opposition leader said this. pic.twitter.com/d9zvEkkOMe

— Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRaii) May 30, 2025

According to military sources, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) successfully downed six Indian fighter jets, including four Rafales, after Indian forces violated Pakistani airspace and launched unprovoked attacks targeting civilian areas.

The situation escalated after India blamed Pakistan for a militant attack in the tourist hotspot of Pahalgam, located in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Pakistan categorically denied the allegations and called for an impartial international investigation. However, India dismissed the call and launched unprovoked attacks on May 8 and 10, targeting civilian and military sites inside Pakistan.

Pakistan’s armed forces, on high alert, effectively repelled the aggression and inflicted heavy military losses on India.

Read: India suffers over $960 million loss after Rafale jets destroyed by PAF

The downing of the advanced Rafale jets, considered among the most sophisticated fighter aircraft in the world, was a significant blow to the Indian Air Force. According to a French newspaper, this incident represents a huge setback for India's military capabilities.

The fallout extended to international markets, with shares of France’s Dassault Aviation. the manufacturer of Rafale, plunging by 7%. Meanwhile, Chinese defense companies saw a 17% increase in share value, likely due to speculation about the effectiveness of Chinese aircraft used by Pakistan.

India had signed a $7.5 billion deal in 2016 to purchase 36 Rafale jets, each costing around $240 million. The aircraft were customised to meet Indian military requirements and delivered by 2022.

Additionally, India's S-400 air defense system, BrahMos missile facility, and several military bases also suffered damage.