Hotmail's Sabeer Bhatia in intense online spat over X post on India-Pakistan hostilities: 'Price a country pays for…'
In the controversial piece, author Brandon J Weichert claimed an 'unambiguous victory for Pakistan' in the India-Pak conflict. Weichert repeated the Pakistan government's claim of shooting down five Indian Air Force jets – including three Rafales – using Chinese-made PL-15 air-to-air missiles.
'Their [Pakistan's] successful engagement downing five IAF warplanes is a tremendous blow to the IAF, as well as to India's military,' read the piece.
Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia shared the piece on X with a caption suggesting critique of Indian leadership.
'This is the price a country pays for the sins of its leaders,' Bhatia wrote, indicating criticism of the Indian government for underestimating the China-Pakistan defence cooperation.
Chandigarh-born and San Francisco-based Bhatia has since engaged in multiple online spats defending his stance. His comments section has been flooded with Indians slamming him for his take on India-Pakistan hostilities.
'Have you gotten yourself checked? Sometimes dehydration causes this, and sometimes it could be a serious condition. Mental illness is no joke. The sooner you get yourself checked, the better. Rest well. May you recover soon,' commented X user Jaivardhan Vermaa, to which Bhatia replied: 'No joke.. I'm fine..Well hydrated too…'
X user Karan pointed out that the article is dated and requested the Indian-American entrepreneur to give further context. 'This article is from 8th May. A lot has happened since. Give the complete picture Sabeer. Don't edit stuff like a troll,' he wrote.
Bhatia replied to him with a short 'Thank you for your advice.'
Some wondered if he even held an Indian passport, with one person writing: 'Which passport do you have Sabeer ? Nonsensical tweets repeatedly from your handle at this time when the nation is at war.'
'World Passport,' Bhatia replied.
Others accused him of having become an 'American.'
Sabeer Bhatia was born in Chandigarh and grew up in Pune and Bangalore. According to a Times of India report, his father was in the Indian Army. He went to the US at the age of 19 on a Cal Tech scholarship.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
16 minutes ago
- India Today
Al-Qaeda cell busted, 4 terror suspects arrested from 3 cities; had links to Pak
The Gujarat Police's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday arrested four terror suspects allegedly linked to the terror group Al-Qaeda. They were tasked with carrying out attacks at high-profile locations across between 20 and 25, the four terror suspects — who were reportedly assigned major targets — were arrested from Gujarat, Delhi, and Noida in Uttar two were caught in Gujarat, the rest were arrested in Delhi and Noida All four, identified as Mohd Fardeen, Sefullah Kureshi, Zeeshan Ali and Mohd Faiq, were connected to each other through a social media interrogation is underway. During the initial course of investigation, the authorities revealed that the accused had cross-border a UN report has revealed that Al-Qaeda is shaping its regional affliate to spread its terror operations in the Indian subcontinent, namely Jammu and Kashmir in India and the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and 32nd report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team of the 1267 ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaeda Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council, released this week, noted that 'one Member State assessed that Al-Qaeda is shaping AQIS (Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent) to spread its operations into neighbouring Bangladesh", Jammu and Kashmir and the Indian subcontinent, Al-Qaeda has approximately 200 fighters, with Osama Mehmood being the that Al-Qaeda's capability to conduct large-scale terror attacks remains reduced while its intent remains firm, the report said, 'The group uses Afghanistan as an ideological and logistical hub to mobilise and recruit new fighters while covertly rebuilding its external operations capability.'- EndsInputs from PTI
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
16 minutes ago
- First Post
Pakistani delegation to visit US, State Department confirms but doesn't reveal what's on agenda
A senior US State Department official on Tuesday (July confirmed that a Pakistani delegation is scheduled to visit Washington for a bilateral meeting read more US has confirmed that a Pakistani delegation is set to visit. Representational image/Reuters A senior US State Department official on Tuesday (July 22) confirmed that a Pakistani delegation is scheduled to visit Washington for a bilateral meeting, but stopped short of saying whether the United States would play any role in resolving the long-standing tensions between India and Pakistan, particularly over Kashmir. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce responded to a question at a press briefing about Donald Trump's past offer to mediate on Kashmir, an offer the US president had linked to his claim of having helped prevent a military conflict between the two nuclear-armed neighbours. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'We have Pakistan who is going to be here for a bilat, and I'll participating in that, so I'm looking forward to that as well,' said Tammy Bruce. The remarks came in response to a query that linked Trump's mediation offer with the United States' stated willingness to encourage direct communication between India and Pakistan on issues such as the Indus Water Treaty (IWT). The reporter asked whether contentious matters like Kashmir would also be on the agenda. The upcoming bilateral talks follow a rare one-on-one lunch hosted by Trump for Pakistan's military chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, marking a significant moment in Washington-Islamabad ties. Trump's claims on ceasefire and trade Since May 10, when Trump took to social media to announce that India and Pakistan had agreed to a 'full and immediate' ceasefire after a 'long night' of talks mediated by the United States, he has repeatedly claimed credit for defusing the crisis. He has also said on multiple occasions that he told the South Asian rivals that the United States would do a 'lot of trade' with them if they deescalated tensions. India, however, has firmly denied any American involvement in the ceasefire. Officials in New Delhi have maintained that the agreement was reached bilaterally through direct communication between the Directors General of Military Operations (DGMOs) of the two countries. No talk of mediation, says India A long-anticipated meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, in June did not materialise as Trump cut short his visit and returned to Washington. However, before Modi concluded his own visit, the two leaders had a 35-minute telephonic conversation. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, speaking from Kananaskis, said PM Modi clearly conveyed to Trump that at 'no point' during the days following Operation Sindoor was there any discussion, at any level, on an India-US trade deal or any proposal for mediation by the US between India and Pakistan. The upcoming bilateral meeting in Washington is expected to cover a wide range of regional and strategic issues, though it remains unclear whether Kashmir will feature in the discussions. With inputs from PTI
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
16 minutes ago
- First Post
The story of Tejas Mk-1A that will replace IAF's MiG-21s set to phase out in September
The Indian Air Force (IAF) is ready to bid adieu to its MiG-21 fighter jets after over 60 years of service. The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark-1A aircraft will replace the ageing planes. Developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the new version of Tejas is an indigenous 4.5 generation, multi-role combat aircraft powered by the American GE F404 engine read more India is retiring its MiG-21 fighter jets after 62 years of service. These aircraft are being replaced by the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mark-1A. The Indian Air Force (IAF) has decided to phase out MiG-21s by September this year and replace them with the indigenously developed newer Tejas fighter jets. Currently, there are only two MiG-21 squadrons – 36 warplanes – in operation, both at the Nal Air Base in Rajasthan. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Here's a look at the Tejas fighter jets replacing India's longest-serving fighter plane. MiG-21s to fly no more First inducted in 1963, MiG-21 is a single-engine, single-seater multi-role fighter/ground attack aircraft. Designed by the Mikoyan-Gurevich Design Bureau (OKB) of the erstwhile Soviet Union, the fighter jet bolstered the Indian Air Force over the years. It was deployed during the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War, 1999 Kargil War and the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. MiG-21 was also used during the 2019 Balakot air strikes on terror camps in Pakistan. The then Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, piloting a MiG-21, had shot down a F-16 fighter jet of Pakistan during an aerial combat. An Indian Air Force MIG-21 aircraft Dornier flies during the inaugural day of the five-day Aero India 2019 airshow at the Yelahanka Air Force station, in Bangalore on February 20, 2019. File Photo/AFP While MiG-21 was the IAF's backbone, it came to be infamously known as 'widow-maker' or the 'flying coffin' due to several crashes over its decades of service. About 500 MiG-21s have crashed in the last 60 years, resulting in the death of 170 pilots, as per government data. Over 20 aircraft have crashed since 2010. Now, the IAF will phase out its ageing MiG-21s that remain in service. 'Indian Air Force to phase out the MiG-21 fighter jet by September this year. The squadrons operating the aircraft are currently in Nal air base in Rajasthan. The LCA Mark 1A aircraft would be replacing the MiG-21s in the IAF,' a defence official was quoted as saying by ANI. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Tejas Mk-1A to boost India's defence The Tejas Light Combat Aircraft Mk-1A is an indigenous 4.5 generation, all-weather and multi-role combat aircraft. Developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), these fighter jets are designed for deployment in high-threat aerial environments. The Tejas Mk-1A has several upgrades over the Tejas Mk-1 version, including Israel EL/M-2025 AESA Radar, Advanced Electronic Warfare Suite with a jammer, and Beyond Visual Range (BVR) capabilities. A homemade digital fly-by-wire flight control computer has been integrated into the Tejas jet. These fly-by-wire systems replace mechanical flight controls in an aircraft with an electronic interface. 'In a significant development towards Tejas Mk1A programme, the digital fly-by-wire flight control computer (DFCC) was integrated into prototype LSP7 and successfully flown on February 19,' the defence ministry said earlier. The combat aircraft has about nine hard points to carry different types of weapons, including the Israeli-built Derby missiles and the indigenous ASTRA missile. 'The Tejas Mk1A will have an advanced electronic RADAR, warfare and communication systems, additional combat capability and improved maintenance features,' according to HAL. The aircraft is capable of air defence, maritime reconnaissance, and strike missions. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In February 2021, the Defence Ministry signed a Rs 48,000 crore deal with HAL for procuring 83 Tejas Mk-1A jets for the IAF. It said it is also in the process of procuring 97 more of these warplanes for around Rs 67,000 crore. However, the delay in the delivery of Tejas MK-1A has frustrated the air force. Even Air Chief Marshal AP Singh flagged the issue. In August 2021, HAL placed an order with America's GE Aerospace for 99 F404 engines worth Rs 5,375 crore to power the Tejas Mk-1A. The first of these jet engines finally delivered to HAL in April, after a delay of over a year. The US company is running behind schedule to provide the engines for the Tejas fighter jets by two years. 'We are working with our partner HAL and suppliers to resolve constraints and deliver F404-IN20 engines for the LCA Mk1 programme,' GE Aerospace said, as per Financial Express. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Twelve Tejas Mk-1A are expected to be rolled out this year. The US firm will deliver 10 engines by the end of 2025. 'It takes about a month to integrate the engines and do the tests. The process first involves building the fuselage, then getting the lobing and piping done, followed by combining the landing gear,' a government official told Indian Express. 'After integrating the engines, the ground runs, including the high-speed runs, are carried out for all thorough checks,' the official added. The IAF is counting on the advanced Tejas jets as the number of its fighter squadrons has plunged to 31 from an official sanctioned strength of 42. With inputs from agencies
