Tamil Nadu CM demands Param Veer Chakra to Wg Cdr Abhinandan Varthaman

Chennai, Mar 08: Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Edappadi K. Palaniswami deamanded Param Veer Chakra (country's highest military honour) for Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

According to news agency ANI, CM Edappadi K Palaniswami wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting PVC, country's highest military honour for Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

Abhinandan Varthaman became the first IAF pilot to shoot down an F-16 fighter jet during an aerial combat with the Pakistani Air Force. He was captured by the Pakistani Army after his MiG-21 Bison jet was hit in a fierce dogfight. He returned to India to a hero's welcome on March 1 night.

According to IAF, on 27 February 19 at around 1000 hrs IAF radars detected a large package of PAF aircraft heading towards the Indian territory towards general area Jhangar. They breached the Indian airspace west of Rajauri in Sunderbani Area. Ingressing aircraft were observed to be at various levels. IAF fighters including MiG-21Bison, Su-30MKI, Mirage-2000 were tasked to intercept the intruder. PAF aircraft attempting to target military installations, were intercepted by IAF fighters & thwarted their plans.

Although PAF bombs fell in Indian Army Formation compounds however they were unable to cause any damage to our Military Installations. In the aerial combat that ensued one F-16 of PAF was shot down by an IAF MiG-21 Bison. The F-16 crashed and fell across the LOC.

The IAF lost one MiG-21 in the aerial engagement and the pilot, Abhinandan Varthaman ejected safely, his parachute drifted into POJ&K where he was taken into custody by Pakistan Army.