MEA Exposes Fake Letter Attributed to S Jaishankar on Rafale Deal: Fact Check Reveals Disinformation Campaign

The Ministry of External Affairs' fact-check unit has officially declared a viral letter allegedly written by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to the French Embassy regarding the Rafale deal as completely fake. The unit emphasized that the purported communication concerning leaked information about Rafale deliveries is entirely fabricated.

On Thursday, the MEA fact-check unit shared an image on X revealing that the counterfeit letter was distributed by an account called Discourse Lab. This account falsely claimed: "Jaishankar's letter to France confirms one thing: the Rafale controversy is far from over. New Delhi is struggling to contain the fallout of leaked communications."

The Ministry firmly rejected the circulating document as "fake" and advised the public to remain vigilant against disinformation, stating clearly in their X post: "The letter being referred to in this post is fake. Always stay alert against disinformation."

The fraudulent letter, wrongfully attributed to Jaishankar, alleged that details regarding the Rafale naval aircraft delivery schedule had been leaked, causing unexpected complications. This fabricated document, dated November 26, 2025, featured a counterfeit signature of the External Affairs Minister and was supposedly addressed to French Ambassador Thierry Mathou.

According to the fake letter: "It has come to our attention that certain communications concerning the Rafale naval aircraft timeline have recently emerged in the public domain. While we fully understand the complexities of such arrangements and the detailed processes involved, the unintended disclosure has created some unforeseen challenges for us, given the nature of our extensive collaboration."

The document further falsely stated: "As partners with a long-standing and valued relationship, we are confident that the professionalism and discretion that have characterized our interactions will continue to guide our future communications. We remain committed to deepening our cooperation and look forward to further strengthening the trust and understanding between our nations."

This misinformation emerges several months after the Ministry of Defence formalized a Rs 63000 crore defence agreement with France to acquire 26 Rafale Marine combat aircraft. The legitimate deal was signed in April at the Defence Ministry headquarters at South Block in New Delhi, as confirmed by the Indian Navy.

The French Ambassador to India represented France during the signing, while Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh represented India, along with other officials. Defence Ministers from both nations participated remotely in the signing ceremony.

The actual government-to-government contract includes 22 single-seater and four twin-seater Rafale M jets, specifically customized for Indian requirements and carrier integration. These Rafale M jets will operate from INS Vikrant and complement the existing MiG-29K fleet.

The Indian Air Force currently operates a fleet of 36 Rafale aircraft acquired through a separate agreement signed in 2016. With this new acquisition, the total number of Rafale jets in India will increase to 62.