In yet another glaring instance of selective quoting and narrative distortion, The Wire has published a misleading article titled “IAF Lost Fighter Jets to Pak Because of Political Leadership’s Constraints”, falsely attributing a statement to India’s Defence Attache to Indonesia, Captain (IN) Shiv Kumar. The report is not just factually inaccurate—it is a textbook case of twisting a nuanced military briefing into a politically loaded attack on the Indian government and armed forces.
What Was Actually Said
Captain Shiv Kumar, during a 35-minute academic seminar in Jakarta on 10 June 2025, clearly praised the Indian Armed Forces’ calibrated, precise, and non-escalatory response to Pakistani aggression during the May 2025 Operation Sindoor. Far from criticising the political leadership, he highlighted the disciplined restraint shown by India, which targeted only terror infrastructure, in line with India’s doctrine of avoiding unnecessary escalation in a nuclear neighbourhood.
Yes, he did refer to “constraints given by the political leadership”, but in the specific context of the initial targeting directive not to hit enemy military or air defence installations. This decision was framed as a strategic restraint, not a failure. He explicitly stated that once losses were registered, Indian forces swiftly adapted, achieving complete air superiority by May 10 through targeted strikes using BrahMos missiles. His full statement was, “So India’s counter-response was again swift, precise and non-escalatory, there is one point that there was the issue of separation of enemy air defense and destruction of enemy air defense which was not undertaken earlier because the constraints given by the political leadership was to only target the terrorist camp. However still it went on and so what news we know, I may not agree with Tommy when he says that India lost so many aircrafts and all that but we all can agree that whatever losses was mentioned, it only speaks about the 7th of May, but this skirmish went on till 10th of May. So what happened on 8th of May, 9th of May, and 10th of May is, this is what happened. so there was complete air superiority and there was separation of enemy air defense undertaken and then one could hit with impunity.”
What The Wire Did Instead
The Wire, in its typical fashion, cherry-picked fragments and twisted them into a fabricated narrative that India’s jets were lost “because of political leadership’s constraints.” That quote does not exist in the presentation. It is an invention, designed to undermine both the civilian leadership and military operations. Their report overlooks the full timeline, ignores the Defence Attaché’s full speech and praise for India’s professionalism, and strategically omits the shift in tactics that turned the tide in India’s favour. Moreover, it sidelines the fact that India refrained from targeting Pakistani military assets as a matter of deliberate, sovereign policy, not compulsion.
Unlike Pakistan, which escalated indiscriminately, India adhered to its policy of proportionate response. And when the battlefield situation evolved, so did the strategy. By May 10, India had successfully neutralised Pakistani air defences and established clear superiority.
As expected, The Wire is back to doing what it does best—spreading fake narratives.
In a 35-minute presentation, Col. Shiv Kumar clearly showcased India’s military and political will to defend our borders and keep them terror-free. He emphasised India’s calibrated,… pic.twitter.com/283lLqcgZg
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) June 30, 2025
This is not The Wire’s first attempt to distort defence matters. From surgical strikes to Balakote to now Operation Sindoor, their reporting consistently seeks to erode public trust in India’s armed forces by misrepresenting official statements and military achievements.
It is noteworthy that after the controversy created by The Wire’s false reporting, the Indian Embassy in Jakarta released a statement clarifying that, “We have seen media reports regarding a presentation made by the Defence Attache at a Seminar. His remarks have been quoted out of context and the media reports are a misrepresentation of the intention and thrust of the presentation made by the speaker. The presentation conveyed that the Indian Armed Forces serve under civilian political leadership, unlike some other countries in our neighbourhood. It was also explained that the objective of Operation Sindoor was to target terrorist infrastructure and the Indian response was non-escalatory.”
We have seen media reports regarding a presentation made by the Defence Attache at a Seminar.
His remarks have been quoted out of context and the media reports are a mis-representation of the intention and thrust of the presentation made by the speaker.
The presentation…
— India in Indonesia (@IndianEmbJkt) June 29, 2025
Although The Wire updated this information in its article, it did not make any amends to the title or the content.
Selective quoting, invented headlines, and deliberate omission of context are tools of propaganda that the likes of The Wire employ to set anti-India narratives. Captain Shiv Kumar’s presentation was a clear exposition of India’s doctrine of strategic restraint, effective escalation control, and military professionalism. By turning that into a fabricated indictment of the political leadership, The Wire has misled its readers as well as disrespected the very ethos of our Armed Forces.
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