By Emeka Blast 
Operation Sindoor: Rahul Gandhi Says Jet Losses Were Avoidable if Govt Listened
In a fiery speech during a Lok Sabha debate on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, Congress Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the Narendra Modi government, alleging that five Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets lost during Operation Sindoor could have been saved had the government heeded his warnings and shown stronger political resolve. Gandhi’s remarks, delivered amidst heated exchanges in Parliament, have reignited controversy over the handling of the May 7, 2025, military operation targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that killed 26 civilians.
Gandhi, addressing the Lower House, cited Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s July 28 statement that Operation Sindoor began at 1:05 a.m. and lasted 22 minutes, with India informing Pakistan at 1:35 a.m. that it targeted non-military terror infrastructure and sought to avoid escalation. “The moment Operation Sindoor began, the government told Pakistan we don’t want escalation. This wasn’t a lapse—it was a crime,” Gandhi thundered, quoting Singh’s remarks. He claimed the early communication, authorized by the Modi government, compromised the operation, allowing Pakistan to prepare defenses that led to the loss of five IAF jets, including three Rafales, one MiG-29, and one Su-30 MKI, as alleged by Pakistani sources and referenced by U.S. President Donald Trump in a July 19 private dinner comment.
“Why were five jets lost? Because the government tied the hands of our pilots, telling them not to hit Pakistan’s air defenses or military targets,” Gandhi charged, referencing Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan’s May 31 admission to Bloomberg TV that India suffered losses due to “tactical mistakes” in the operation’s initial phase. Gandhi argued that had the government listened to his May 17 call for a strategic approach without premature de-escalation signals, the IAF could have avoided these losses. “I warned them on May 17—don’t compromise our forces’ freedom. If Indira Gandhi had told General Manekshaw in 1971 to avoid escalation, would one lakh Pakistani soldiers have surrendered?” he asked, contrasting the current government’s approach with the 1971 war’s decisive leadership.
The Congress leader further alleged that Pakistan leveraged Chinese satellite imagery and real-time targeting data, a claim supported by General Chauhan’s Shangri-La Dialogue remarks, which suggested Pakistan accessed Chinese or Western commercial imagery during the operation. “China and Pakistan are fused militarily. The chief architect of the Pahalgam attack was dining with the U.S. President while our jets were falling,” Gandhi said, referencing a controversial meeting between a Pakistani official and Trump. He accused the Modi government of undermining deterrence, stating, “You’ve turned India’s foreign policy upside down for the PM’s image.”
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hit back, calling Gandhi’s claims a “misrepresentation of facts” and “anti-India propaganda.” The MEA clarified that External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s statement about informing Pakistan referred to the “early phase after Operation Sindoor’s commencement,” not before, as Gandhi alleged. BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi labeled Gandhi’s remarks “sinister,” accusing him of siding with Pakistan. “Rahul Gandhi’s pain is evident when our forces teach the enemy a lesson. He’s acting as Pakistan’s spokesperson,” Trivedi said, citing the operation’s success in neutralizing over 100 terrorists, including high-value targets like a Pakistani AWACS aircraft.
Indian military officials, including Air Marshal A.K. Bharti, have acknowledged losses but emphasized the operation’s success, with all pilots returning safely. On May 11, Bharti told The Hindu, “Losses are part of combat. The question is, did we achieve our objective? The answer is a thumping yes.” However, Captain Shiv Kumar, India’s defense attaché to Indonesia, admitted on June 10 that jets were lost due to restrictions on targeting Pakistani military infrastructure, a point Gandhi seized upon. Pakistan’s claims of downing five Indian jets, including three Rafales, remain unconfirmed by India, with General Chauhan dismissing Islamabad’s tally as “absolutely incorrect.”
Social media reactions on X were polarized, with @IndiaWarZone praising the operation’s precision while @Conscious_Factz echoed Gandhi’s concerns, tweeting, “5 jets lost because Modi didn’t let IAF go all out?” Congress leader Pawan Khera amplified the attack, posting, “Modi’s fear of escalation cost us dearly. The nation deserves answers.” The debate has fueled calls for a special parliamentary session, with Congress alleging the government is dodging accountability.
