Trump’s ‘Five Jets’ Remark Sparks Political Row in India; Rahul Gandhi Demands Clarity, BJP Hits Back | India News
New Delhi: A political clash has erupted in India following US President Donald Trump’s ambiguous remarks about five jets being downed during Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the April Pahalgam terror attack. The comment has prompted Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi to demand an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while the BJP has accused him of harboring a “traitor’s mentality.”
Trump, speaking at a private dinner on Friday, claimed that five fighter jets were shot down during the operation but did not specify whether the aircraft belonged to India or Pakistan.
“Planes were being shot out of the air. Five, five, four or five, but I think five jets were shot down actually,” Trump said.
Operation Sindoor was launched by India to strike terror infrastructure across nine locations in Pakistan. These included key sites like the Jaish-e-Mohammed headquarters in Bahawalpur and Lashkar-e-Taiba’s base in Muridke. In the aftermath, Pakistan claimed it had shot down multiple Indian jets — including three Rafale fighters, which are among the most advanced aircraft in the Indian Air Force.
India acknowledged some losses during the operation but has not disclosed a specific figure. Instead, it emphasized the strategic lessons learned from the mission.
“What is important is that, not the jet being down, but why they were being down,” said India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, while firmly denying Pakistan’s assertion that six Indian jets were shot down.
He added, “The good part is that we are able to understand the tactical mistake which we made, remedy it, rectify it, and then implement it again after two days and fly all our jets again, targeting at long range.”
Following Trump’s comments, Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter (X) on Saturday, sharing the video and demanding answers from the Prime Minister.
“Modi ji, what is the truth behind the five jets? The country has a right to know,” he wrote in Hindi.
pic.twitter.com/mQeaGCz4wp
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 19, 2025
Responding sharply, BJP leader Amit Malviya pointed out that Trump had not specified the nationality of the jets and accused Rahul Gandhi of aligning with Pakistan’s narrative.
“Rahul Gandhi’s mentality is that of a traitor. In his statement, Trump neither took the name of India nor said that those five planes belonged to India. Then why did the prince of Congress accept him as belonging to India? Why did he not accept him as belonging to Pakistan? Does he sympathise more with Pakistan than his own country?” Malviya wrote in a post on X in Hindi.
He continued, “The truth is that Pakistan has not yet recovered from Operation Sindoor… but Rahul Gandhi is in pain! Whenever the country’s army teaches a lesson to the enemy, Congress gets irritated. Anti-India sentiment is no longer a habit of Congress; it has become its identity. Rahul Gandhi should make it clear – is he an Indian or a spokesperson of Pakistan?”
