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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Teacher from Maharashtra's Kalyan dies in Indonesia due to accident during school tour
Thane, May 11 (PTI): A female teacher from a school in Maharashtra's Thane district has died in an accident in Indonesia's Bali during the tour of her school to the archipelagic country, the authorities of the educational institute said on Sunday.
Teacher Shweta Pushkar Pathak of the B K Birla Public School located in Kalyan town died in the accident in the Indonesian province on Saturday, they said, adding that the process to bring her body back was underway.
"Shweta Pathak lost her life in an unfortunate accident in Bali. We are currently handling all formalities with local authorities to bring her body back to India," a source from the school said.
The school also posted a message on its official website.
"It is with deep sorrow and heavy heart that we inform our school community of the untimely and tragic demise of our beloved colleague, Ms Shweta Pushkar Pathak, in an unfortunate accident during a trip at Bali," it said.
"She was more than an educator. She was a guiding light to her students, a supportive colleague, and a kind-hearted soul whose presence brought warmth and inspiration to all who knew her. Her passion for teaching, her insightful contributions, and her unwavering dedication to her students and the school community have left an indelible mark on our hearts," it added.
School Principal Ranjna Jangra and Pathak's husband are currently in Bali coordinating with local officials to bring her body back to India, the statement said.
Further details are awaited.
Shweta Pushkar Pathak from Kalyan, Maharashtra, passed away in Bali, Indonesia, on 9th May 2025. Her mortal remains are at Payangan Hospital, Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia.
— Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) May 11, 2025
Requesting Hon. @DrSJaishankar Ji, @MEAIndia, @MEAMadad, and @IndianEmbJkt to kindly assist with the…
