On social media, Pakistani propaganda accounts are sharing a letter with the signature of Indian Air Force Chief Amar Preet Singh, in which it is claimed that the Indian Air Force is planning to abandon Tejas fighter aircraft.
While sharing this letter, a Pakistani user wrote, “India is planning to leave Tejas.. Chief of Air Staff Amar Preet Singh has officially indicated that the Tejas fighter will be slowly withdrawn. This is an important change which is the beginning of breaking political restrictions. For years, pilots, engineers and senior officers have been raising concerns about the structural shortcomings of Tejas, performance issues and safety worries, yet the Modi government kept insisting on including it for political gain. By indicating that it will be slowly withdrawn, CAS has made it clear that there will be no compromise with operational decisions just to fulfil political motives.”
Fact Check:
For verification of the viral letter, the DFRAC team first checked the official social media handle of the Indian Air Force @IAF_MCC. We did not find any such letter there. After this, our team searched some keywords on Google regarding the viral letter of Air Force Chief Amar Preet Singh, but we did not find any letter from the Air Force Chief about abandoning Tejas. Because if such a letter had been written, it would have definitely been covered by national and international media.
We found a post from the official handle of the Indian Air Force expressing deep grief over the tragic death of Tejas aircraft pilot and Indian Air Force Wing Commander Namansh Syal during the Dubai Airshow. The post said, “Indian Air Force expresses deep sorrow on the tragic death of Wing Commander Namansh Syal, who lost his life in the Tejas aircraft accident at the Dubai Air Show. A dedicated fighter pilot and a complete professional, he served the country with strong commitment, excellent skill and a deep sense of duty. His dignified personality earned him great respect throughout his service, which was reflected in the farewell by UAE officials, colleagues, friends and officials of the Indian Embassy. IAF stands with his family in this moment of grief and honours his legacy of courage, dedication and dignity. His service shall be remembered with gratitude.”
Conclusion:
DFRAC’s fact check makes it clear that a fake letter in the name of Indian Air Force Chief Amar Preet Singh is being shared on social media. He has not written any letter to abandon Tejas. Therefore, the claim of Pakistani propaganda accounts is fake.
