Prashant Bhushan says IAF officials being pressured on Rafale
Ahmedabad, Sep 8 : Senior Supreme Court lawyer and activist Prashant Bhushan on Saturday alleged that to justify the changed Rafale deal, the Indian Air Force (IAF) officials were being forced to speak in praise of the new deal signed by the Modi Government.
The opposition parties and many activists have been questioning the change in the deal for the purchase of the Rafael fighter jets by the present government. The earlier deal by the UPA government to purchase 126 fighter planes from France's Dassault was allegedly altered to buy only 36 fighter planes for around Rs 60,000 crore.
"After the expose, the NDA government doesn't have anything to justify the change in the deal, so now IAF officials are being pressurized to speak in favour of the new deal," Prashant Bhushan told reporters.
Calling it a major scam, he alleged, "This is a scam of unimaginable proportions. The country has never witnessed a defence scam of such magnitude," he said.
"The Bofors deal involved a scam of only Rs 64 crore, but the present change in original UPA deal, points to a scam of at least Rs 21,000 crore. Not only that, but far more is the seriousness of compromising the country's security," he said.
Questioning the prime minister's motive, Bhushan asked, "Who gave the prime minister the permission to reduce the requirements of the IAF from 126 planes to only 36, overriding the IAF demands and theADefence Acquisition Council's decision?"
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Indians in US rush to schedule preterm deliveries ahead of Trump’s birthright citizenship order
With the February 19 deadline for President Donald Trump’s executive order ending automatic birthright citizenship fast approaching, Indian parents in the United States are scrambling to arrange preterm deliveries. The new order challenges the long-standing interpretation of the 14th Amendment, which grants citizenship to all children born on U.S. soil, except for children of foreign diplomats.
The executive order impacts not only undocumented immigrants but also non-citizens legally residing in the U.S. on temporary visas, such as H-1B, L1, tourist, and student visas. Children born after February 19 to non-citizen parents will no longer qualify for automatic U.S. citizenship, disrupting long-term plans for thousands of families.
Indian-origin families, many of whom are awaiting green cards, are especially anxious. Some parents were counting on their children’s U.S. citizenship as a potential pathway to secure residency. Priya, an Indian woman expecting her baby in March, expressed her distress: “We’ve been waiting for green cards for six years. Our child being born here was the only way to secure stability. Now, we’re terrified of what’s to come.”
Maternity clinics and doctors are reporting an unusual spike in requests for preterm C-sections. Dr. SG Mukkala, an obstetrician in Texas, shared concerns over the health risks of preterm births, including underdeveloped lungs, feeding difficulties, and neurological complications. “I’ve spoken to 15-20 couples in the past two days, trying to explain the risks,” he said.
In New Jersey, Dr. SD Rama noted a surge in calls for early deliveries. “A seven-months pregnant woman came with her husband, asking to schedule a preterm birth, even though she isn’t due until March,” she revealed.
