The Ministry of External Affairs’ fact-check unit on Thursday issued a strong clarification after a purported letter from External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to the French Embassy began circulating widely across social media.
The MEA swiftly declared the document— which alleged a leak of confidential information on Rafale naval aircraft deliveries— ‘entirely fake’.
In its post on X, the MEA fact-check unit shared an image of the fabricated letter while identifying the account that circulated it—Discourse Lab.
The post attempted to present the forged communication as evidence of continuing controversy surrounding the Rafale defence deal.
Dismissing these claims, the MEA urged citizens to remain vigilant against manipulated content designed to mislead the public.
“The letter being referred to in this post is fake. Always stay alert against disinformation,” the MEA stated clearly in its advisory.
The fake letter, dated 26 November 2025, falsely suggested that the Indian government believed details of the Rafale Marine aircraft delivery schedule had emerged in the public domain, creating diplomatic complications.
Someone forged the document, faked External Affairs Minister Jaishankar’s signature, and misaddressed it to French Ambassador Thierry Mathou.
The text of the fake letter attempted to imitate official diplomatic communication, even referencing the ‘long-standing and valued relationship’ between India and France and expressing concern over alleged disclosures.
The MEA has confirmed that no such communication was issued or authorised.
The circulation of the fake letter comes months after India and France formalised a significant defence deal worth ₹63,000 crore for the acquisition of 26 Rafale Marine combat aircraft.
Signed in April at the Ministry of Defence headquarters in New Delhi, the agreement marked a major step in strengthening naval aviation capabilities.
Representatives from both nations attended the signing ceremony, including Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and the French Ambassador, with the Defence Ministers joining remotely.
The government-to-government contract covers 22 single-seater and four twin-seater Rafale M jets engineered specifically for Indian Navy requirements, including integration with INS Vikrant.
These aircraft will operate alongside the existing MiG-29K fleet, significantly boosting India’s maritime combat readiness.
Moreover, India already operates 36 Rafale aircraft purchased under a separate agreement signed in 2016.
With the addition of the 26 Marine variants, the total number of Rafale jets in Indian service will rise to 62, strengthening both air and naval defence capabilities.
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