A shocking report by a top US government commission has exposed a covert Chinese disinformation campaign designed to sabotage the French Rafale fighter jet’s global reputation, raising serious questions about whether Congress leader Rahul Gandhi inadvertently became a vocal asset in this foreign propaganda effort.
The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission’s report details that following the May 2025 India-Pakistan border crisis, China initiated a coordinated drive to undermine sales of the French Rafale in favour of its own J-35 fighter jets. The campaign allegedly used fake social media accounts to propagate AI-generated images of supposed Rafale debris, falsely claiming the jets had been destroyed by Chinese-made weaponry.
This revelation places a glaring spotlight on Rahul Gandhi’s persistent demands for the Modi government to disclose the “number of jets lost” during Operation Sindoor, echoing the very narrative pushed by Chinese and Pakistani sources.
The Chinese Playbook And The Echo In India
According to the US report, the Chinese strategy was clear: exploit the India-Pakistan conflict to create a global perception that the Rafale jet was vulnerable, thereby hindering its exports and creating an opening for China’s own arms sales. Indonesia was reportedly convinced to pause a Rafale deal following this campaign.
Simultaneously, in India, a political narrative was being built. Despite the Indian Air Force’s clear statements that all assets were intact and that sharing operational details mid-conflict would jeopardise national security, Rahul Gandhi led a chorus of opposition leaders demanding specifics on aircraft losses.
His repeated questioning, “How many jets were lost?” and his recent tweet demanding PM Modi reveal “the truth about the five jets” after former US President Donald Trump’s unsubstantiated claims, aligned suspiciously with the objectives of the Chinese disinformation campaign.
Amplifying A Hostile Narrative
The timeline of events is telling:
Chinese Campaign Begins: Post-May 2025 conflict, Chinese fake accounts push the “Rafale shot down” narrative.
Pakistani Claims: Pakistan, a close ally of China, claims it shot down three Rafales, a claim dismissed by the Indian Chief of Defence Staff and Dassault Aviation as “absolutely incorrect” and “inaccurate.”
Opposition Demands in India: Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party persistently question the government on the same lines, keeping the debunked narrative alive in the public discourse.
Many Congress MPs made claims about Rafale jets being show down in the Parliament.
Congress MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring has claimed that a Rafale fighter jet crashed near Bhisiana Air Force Station in Punjab, presenting photos as evidence and stating that the tail section with the code “BS-001” was found at the site.
“Rafale jet crashed near Bhisiana Airforce Station. I have brought photos as well. Air Marshal Bharti called it unidentified aircraft and fooled the nation.”
– Amrinder Singh Raja Warring (Congress MP from Ludhiana, Punjab)
Who needs enemies when we have Congress?? pic.twitter.com/NgRJtPbNNN
— Incognito (@Incognito_qfs) July 29, 2025
Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla has publicly demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi parade all 35 Rafale jets to prove that none were shot down during Operation Sindoor.
“PM Modi must parade all 35 Rafale jets to prove to the world that not even one was shot down during Op Sindoor.”
– CONGRESS MP GURJEET SINGH AUJILA
— News Algebra (@NewsAlgebraIND) July 28, 2025
Kerala Congress MP K. Francis George claimed that India lost three Rafale jets, one Sukhoi-30 MKI, and one MiG-29, all shot down within Indian territory.
“We lost 3 Rafales, 1 Sukhoi 30 MKI, 1 Mig 29, all shot down in our own territory.”
– Kerala Cong MP K Francis George
This man is lying blatantly in the Parliament. pic.twitter.com/fhjHw0XZEi
— News Arena India (@NewsArenaIndia) July 28, 2025
A Question of National Security
In August 2008, the Sonia Gandhi-led Congress and the Communist Party of China signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) “for exchanging high level information and cooperation between them”. The MoU also said that the two parties would “consult each other on bilateral, regional and international developments”. The deal was signed by none other than the then Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on the Indian side.
The convergence between a hostile foreign power’s propaganda and the political opposition’s line of questioning has raised serious concerns about its impact on national security and India’s defence preparedness. By continuously seeking to validate a false narrative that undermines a key component of India’s air power, the opposition’s actions, whether intentional or not, served to amplify a disinformation campaign aimed at weakening India’s strategic position.
While there is no evidence to suggest a direct link between the Congress party and the Chinese state, the net effect of their demands has been to erode public confidence in a critical defence asset and parrot a talking point that originates from a campaign designed to harm India’s strategic and economic interests.
The central question remains: Did Rahul Gandhi, in his pursuit to corner the government, become an unwitting participant in a larger, malicious game orchestrated by Beijing against the Indian military and the Rafale jet?
(Source: Hindustan Times)
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