Fact Check: Did PM Modi make a false claim in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ about Group Captain Varun Singh?

Recently, the helicopter of the country’s first Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat crashed in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu. Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 14 people of the army were on board the helicopter. 13 people died in this accident, while one was seriously injured.

The injured in the accident was Group Captain Varun Singh. Whose body was badly burnt in the accident. He also underwent treatment at the Military Hospital in Wellington. But he could not be saved.

"वरुण सिंह भी मौत से कई दिन तक जांबाजी से लड़े, लेकिन फिर वो भी हमें छोड़कर चले गए |"

– पीएम श्री @narendramodi .#MannKiBaat

— Mann Ki Baat Updates मन की बात अपडेट्स (@mannkibaat) December 26, 2021

Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Mann Ki Baat program on Sunday. In which he also remembered Group Captain Varun Singh and said that “Varun Singh was flying the helicopter that crashed in Tamil Nadu this month. In that accident, we lost many heroes including the country’s first CDS General Bipin Rawat and his wife.” He also said, “Varun Singh also fought bravely for many days to death, but then he also left us.”

Fact Check

Our team investigated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s claim and found that Varun Singh was a fighter pilot. He was posted in Wellington, Tamil Nadu. CDS Rawat was to attend the program of Defense Academy in Wellington, so he was accompanying him. He was made the Protocol Officer to receive CDS Bipin Rawat.

National spokesperson of Congress and former MLA Akhilesh Pratap Singh’s nephew Varun Pratap Singh used to fly fighter planes, not helicopters. He first flew Jaguar, then MiG and later Tejas. On 12 October 2020, despite the failure of the flying control system, he made a successful landing of the aircraft from an altitude of about 10 thousand feet. For this, he was also awarded the Shaurya Chakra by the President on 15 August.

Hence the claim of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is false and misleading.