President Ram Nath Kovind bestowed the Vir Chakra on Indian Air Force ace pilot Group Captain Abhinandan Varthaman during an investiture ceremony on Monday. Netizens have taken to Twitter as they sing praises for the pilot's bravery, calling him a 'real war hero'.
Abhinandan Varthaman was just recently promoted to Group Captain.
On February 27, a day after the Balakot airstrike, Abhinandan shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter plane in aerial battle. He flew across Pakistan-occupied Kashmir during the process, and his MiG-21 was shot down, forcing him to eject over enemy-controlled territory. The Pakistan Army then took him into custody.
However, due to intense pressure from India and international action, the Pakistan Army was compelled to release him.
Varthaman's bravery was highly applauded by everyone, including netizens on Twitter who have once again taken to the platform to sing praises for the very brave war hero.
Have a look:
Abhinandan was part of the 51 squadron located in Srinagar, and had flown to repel a Pakistani aerial strike on February 27, 2019.
Against February 26, India launched an aerial raid on Pakistan's terrorist base controlled by the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region.
On Monday, the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM) was presented to former Eastern Army Commander Lt Gen Anil Chauhan (Retd), Engineer in Chief Lt General Harpal Singh, and Southern Navy Commander Vice Admiral Anil Chawla, among others. Air Marshal Dilip Patnaik, Eastern Air Commander, was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM).
