New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman and said the word “abhinandan” has assumed a new meaning as the IAF Wing Commander showed remarkable poise and calm during his captivity in Pakistan.
“The strength of our country is that it changes the meaning of words in dictionary. Abhinandan in English until now meant ‘congratulations’, but it will be different from now on,” Modi said at an event here, speaking partly in English and partly in Hindi.
His remarks came during a two-day seminar, a day after the Wing Commander was released by Islamabad after over 60 hours in captivity.
Varthaman was captured after a dogfight in the sky in which he achieved remarkable success by shooting down a Pakistani Air Force fighter jet F16. However, when his plane was hit by a enemy missile, it crashed in Pakistani territory on February 27. The IAF pilot ejected safely but as luck could have it, his parachute drifted into PoK and was captured by the enemy forces.
The 35-year-old IAF officer showed exemplary calmness during his questioning in Pakistan, a video released by his captors showed.
Addressing private firms linked to the housing construction sector, Modi sought help to take India to the top in the field so as to ensure homes for the “poorest of poor”.
Giving example of construction technology used in tents in Kumbh in Prayagraj, Modi said: “If makeshift arrangements can be made so good, permanent arrangement will be expectedly extremely much better.”