Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that around five jets were downed during the recent India-Pakistan conflict has sparked a political controversy in India. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify the situation, emphasizing the public’s right to know, while BJP leaders mocked him, accusing him of siding with Pakistan. The dispute follows conflicting accounts: Pakistan claims to have shot down several Indian jets, while India has neither fully confirmed nor denied losses, with only senior military officials acknowledging some aircraft were downed. Trump mentioned the incident at a White House event, suggesting U.S. trade pressure helped de-escalate tensions. The controversy reignites debates over India’s policy against third-party mediation and the lack of official confirmation regarding aircraft losses.
Trump’s remarks on the downing of approximately five fighter jets in the India-Pakistan conflict have ignited a political controversy in India. Rahul Gandhi has called on Narendra Modi to clarify the U.S. President’s demands. In retaliation, a senior BJP leader ridiculed Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of acting as a spokesperson for Pakistan.
Islamabad had asserted that it shot down several Indian warplanes during the recent conflict, but New Delhi has maintained a cautious stance, neither fully confirming nor denying the claims. The issue flared up again following remarks by the U.S. President.
At a White House dinner, he stated that approximately five warplanes were downed in the India-Pakistan clash, sparking a political storm across India.
Rahul Gandhi raised questions about the reported downing of Indian jets during the conflict. In a social media post, the Congress leader urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to clarify Trump’s remarks, emphasizing the public’s right to know the truth.
The ruling BJP responded sharply to Rahul’s comments. Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT cell chief, derided him as a spokesperson for Pakistan and accused him of having a traitorous mindset.
Though Trump did not specify any country in his comments about the downed jets, BJP leaders criticized Rahul for linking the statement directly to India.
Tensions between India and Pakistan escalated sharply in April after a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Kashmir. India blamed Pakistan for the assault, which Islamabad denied, calling instead for an impartial investigation.
The U.S. President raised the issue while addressing Republican senators at the White House, highlighting how his administration had prevented numerous conflicts.
He said, “There was India and Pakistan—they were escalating… planes were being shot down… four or five, actually. I think it was five jets that got shot down. The situation was worsening, wasn’t it?”
“That looked like it was about to spiral out of control… these are two serious nuclear powers exchanging fire.”
“But India and Pakistan kept clashing, back and forth, with the conflict intensifying. We managed to resolve it through trade.”
“We told them, ‘If you want a trade deal, you can’t be firing weapons around, especially nuclear ones.’ Both countries are very powerful nuclear states.”
Though Trump didn’t specify which side lost the jets, Rahul Gandhi has demanded answers from Prime Minister Modi, noting the government has yet to officially confirm any aircraft losses.
So far, only a few senior military officials have independently acknowledged that some aircraft were downed, without revealing exact numbers.
Rahul Gandhi posted on X, sharing a clip of Trump’s remarks, and demanded, “Modiji, what’s the truth about the five jets? The nation deserves to know.”
Regarding Trump’s claim of acting as a mediator, the Congress party pointed out that this was the 24th time the U.S. President had made such an assertion.
India has consistently denied any mediation, citing the country’s long-standing policy against third-party involvement in its dealings with Pakistan. However, these denials have not stopped Trump from repeating his claim.
Pakistan alleges it shot down three Rafale jets and two drones belonging to India on the first day (May 7) of Operation Sindoor, but India has yet to confirm this.
In June, Chief of Defence Staff Anil Chauhan told Reuters that India did lose fighter jets on the opening day but emphasized that the exact numbers were not significant.
Later, India’s defence attaché in Indonesia revealed in Jakarta that some aircraft were lost in the initial phase due to government orders to avoid targeting Pakistani military bases and air defense systems.
