Ambala: Debunking Pakistan's propaganda, President Droupadi Murmu on Wednesday, October 29, posed with Squadron Leader Shivangi Singh at Haryana's Ambala Airbase. Notably, During India's Operation Sindoor, the Pakistani media had claimed that Squadron Leader Singh's aircraft was shot down and she was taken her as a prisoner of war.
For the unversed, Squadron Leader Singh is India's only female Rafale pilot. The IAF pilot hails from Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi. She was commissioned in the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2017. In 2020, she was shortlisted as a Rafale pilot.
Sharing the picture of President Murmu with the IAF pilot on his X account, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Amit Malviya said, "Talk about breaking glass ceilings? President Droupadi Murmu, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, took to the skies in a Rafale fighter jet, with none other than Sqn Ldr Shivangi Singh — the same officer whom Pakistani media and influencers falsely claimed was “captured” during Operation Sindoor. Two powerful women. One cockpit. A message to the world — India’s daughters soar."
During Operation Sindoor, Pakistani media spread fake news about the IAF pilot, claiming that her Rafale jet was shot down and she had been captured near Sialkot.
The Pakistani media claimed to have shot down several Indian fighter jets during the four-day conflict. Responding to these claims during one of the press conferences after Operation Sindoor, IAF's Director General of Air Operations (DGAO) Air Marshal Bharti said that the force achieved its goal and all pilots returned home safely.
"We are in a combat scenario, losses are a part of combat. The question you must ask us is... have we achieved our objective of decimating the terrorist camps? And the answer is a thumping yes. And the results are for the whole world to see," he had said in May this year.
About Operation Sindoor:
India launched Operation Sindoor on the intervening night of May 6 and 7, targeting nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) to avenge the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack. Pakistan then tried to attack Indian civilian and military installations. However, India's air defence thwarted the attack. On the intervening night of May 9 and 10, India hit 11 Pakistani air bases. Pakistan's Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) on May 10 contacted his Indian counterpart and requested a ceasefire.
