Hotmail’s Sabeer Bhatia in intense online spat over X post on India-Pakan hostilities: ‘Price a country pays for…’ | Trending

Hotmail’s India-born founder Sabeer Bhatia is facing backlash over a pro-Pakan news story he has shared on social media. The piece – titled “How Chinese Missiles Routed India’s Air Force Over Pakan” – was published on May 8 in the American bimonthly magazine The National Interest. Sabeer Bhatia is the India-born, US-based founder of Hotmail(X/@sabeer) In the controversial piece, author Brandon J Weichert claimed an “unambiguous victory for Pakan” in the India-Pak conflict. Weichert repeated the Pakan government’s claim of shooting down five Indian Air Force jets – including three Rafales – using Chinese-made PL-15 air-to-air missiles. “Their [Pakan’s] successful engagement downing five IAF warplanes is a tremendous blow to the IAF, as well as to India’s military,” read the piece. Sabeer Bhatia reactsHotmail 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-Pakan 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-Pakan 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.