Abhinandan returns home: Country praises IAF Wing Commander

Apart from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind, the Indian pilot has been receiving praises from all sections of the society.

Defence Ministry Spokesperson's said the country has found "the best" of Indian Armed Forces in him.

India President Ram Nath Kovind said: "Welcome home Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman! India is proud of your courage and sense of duty, and above all your dignity. Wishing you and our entire Air Force every success in the future #PresidentKovind."

Indian PM Narendra Modi welcomed the pilot and tweeted :"Welcome Home Wing Commander Abhinandan! The nation is proud of your exemplary courage. Our armed forces are an inspiration for 130 crore Indians. Vande Mataram!."

The Ministry posted on its Twitter handle: "For honour of the Nation, you kept duty ahead of your personal safety. Wearing India Colours on your sleeve, you showed calm and poise in adversity. #Abhinandan you created history and in you we find the best of the Indian Armed Forces. Bravo #AirWarrior, more power to you."

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman called him an 'inspiration' for the youth of the country.

"Proud of you Wing Commander #AbhinandanVarthaman. The entire nation appreciates your valour and grit. You held your calm in the face of adversity. You are an inspiration to our youth. Salute. Vande Mataram," the Minister posted.

After hours of delay, Varthaman, who was captured by Pakistan two days ago after  he parachuted down from his MiG 21 jet in flames across the LoC, returned to India through the Wagah border a day after Pakistan  announced to release the pilot in what it called a peace gesture amid global pressures on the neighbour to conform to international laws like Geneva Conventions.

Abhinandan arrived to a hero's welcome to India with a huge crowd gathered at the Wagah Border,  which lies on the historic Grand Trunk Road between Lahore and Amritsar in India, cheering his return.

The handing over of the IAF pilot to India by Pakistan was delayed by several hours due to "procedural delays". It finally happened well after 9pm.

"He has been handed over to us.....as per standard operating procedure of the Air Force he will now be taken for a detailed medical check up. This check up is mandated particularly because the officer had had to eject from an aeroplane which would put his body under great stress," Air Vice Marshal RGK Kapoor told media persons immediately after he crossed over to India after completing the long and tedious formalities.

The IAF Wing Commander was captured by the Pakistan Army after his aircraft crashed across the Line of Control. 

The Indian government on Tuesday last said the Indian Air Force (IAF) had carried out a "non-military pre-emptive" surgical strike across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), a step which seemed to be a fitting reply to the recent Pulwama attack in Kashmir by Pakistan-backed terrorists, killing 40 Indian paramilitary personnel.

India swore revenge and launched surgical strike to destroy a Jaish-e-Mohammad terror camp in POK.

In retaliatory strike by Pakistan, the jet of Abhinandan was shot down though he parachuted down in Pakistan occupied territory.