#BringBackAbhinandan says Twitteratti

New Delhi, Feb 27: After the photo and video of IAF's Wing Commander Abhinandan being captured in Pakistan following an air strike is doing several rounds on social media, there has been a call from many to #BringBackAbhinandan. However, the Indian government has not confirmed the name of the missing MiG 21 Bison pilot.

The hashtag #BringBackAbhinandan became a top trend on Twitter on Wednesday, with netizens urging the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to bring the pilot back home to safety as cross-border attacks escalated during the ongoing India-Pakistan conflict.

The hashtag has now became a top global trend.

Bollywood actor Swara Bhasker took to Twitter to pray for his safe return. "Praying for the safe return of this Indian Air Force officer," she wrote on Twitter. In another tweet, she wrote, "#BringHimHome #BringBackAbhinandan #Abhinandan."

Omar Abdullah tweeted,''PM Modi must suspend his political activities until #WingCommanderAbhinandan is returned safely. It can't be business as usual with him cross crossing the country at tax payer expense making political speeches while our pilot is a Pakistani captive.''

Another user said:

You achieved nothing Mr Modi. Now only if you can #BringBackAbhinandan in the remaining days of your term, you may still have a chance. https://t.co/W1zH3SMwwR

— Sanjukta Basu (@sanjukta) February 27, 2019

Many also encouraged Pakistan to extend to him relevant protections under the Geneva Convention.

A social media campaign has started in the past hour #BringBackAbhinandan

— rama lakshmi (@RamaNewDelhi) February 27, 2019

While some Twitter users across the globe said with hashtag #SayNoToWar.

Twitter user @faizuuk posted: "Don't celebrate war! #SayNoToWar. Hope the situation does not go out of control. Really concerned. War is a failure, no matter who wins #IndiaPakistan."

One Indian user wrote: "No politician ever dies in a war, they only create it. It's always the innocent civilians and military jawans that suffer and die. We demand #BringBackAbhinandan #SayNoToWar."

Earlier in the day, the ministry of external affairs said a MiG-21 had been shot down and that a pilot was missing, even as Pakistan claimed it has in its custody two Indian Air force pilots who were captured from its territory.

The Pakistani government released a video claiming it was of one of the "arrested" pilots. In the video, a man wearing a flight suit is heard saying he is Wing Commander Abhinandan. He is blindfolded and asks whether he is in the custody of the Pakistani military. He says he has a right to know and refuses to answer further questions.