The Hindu is facing intense backlash after the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) responded sarcastically to a journalist’s question regarding the Rafale fighter jets, asking if Pakistan had shot one down, during a press briefing. When the question was raised, the DGMO, in a pointed moment, asked the reporter from The Hindu, “Are you surprised that you got this question?” This exchange quickly went viral, with social media users heavily trolling the newspaper.
"Are you surprised that you got this question?"
The Hindu journalist trolled with a swag in the military press briefing 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/ardOyee0QJ
— The Hawk Eye (@thehawkeyex) May 11, 2025
The controversy erupted after The Hindu published an article amid heightened India-Pakistan military tensions, suggesting that Pakistan had shot down Indian aircraft. However, the newspaper failed to verify the facts before spreading this claim, only later admit and apologize for the incident.
The Hindu Reporter’s Question On Rafale
The low point of the DGMO’s press briefing came when a reporter from The Hindu repeatedly pressed for information about potential losses of Indian military jets during the conflict. Air Marshal A K Bharti firmly rejected the question, highlighting that India was still in an active combat situation, and revealing operational details could give an advantage to the enemy. He emphasized that the real question was whether the mission’s objectives were accomplished—and the clear answer was a definitive “Yes.” He also reassured the public, saying, “All our pilots are safe.”
The DGMO was ready to wrap up the briefing with two final questions, and called another journalist, it was Dinakaran from The Hindu newspaper, who hesitantly introduced himself by saying, “Sir, Dinakaran with The Hindu newspaper.” Maj Gen SS Sharda then asked, “Are you surprised that you got this question?” A brief laugh erupted from the crowd. Dinakaran responded, “No, sir, just a look, sir,” before asking, “Can you clarify how many assets we’ve lost because there’s been a lot of speculation in international media about our platforms, including claims by Pakistan that the Rafale was shot down. Can you put those rumors to rest and clarify?”
Bharti explained, “I’m glad you asked this question. As you know, we are in a combat scenario, and losses are a part of war. But the real question we should be asking—one that we should all ask ourselves, including you—is: Have we accomplished our objectives? Specifically, have we successfully neutralized the terrorist camp? And the answer to that is a resounding yes. The results are there for the world to see. As for specifics—how many, which platforms we might have lost, and so on—I cannot comment at this time because we are still in an active combat situation. Any such details could provide an advantage to the adversary, and we don’t want to give them that opportunity. All I can say is that we have achieved the objectives we set out to accomplish, and all of our pilots are safely back home.”
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