'Wasn't taking credit, stated truth': Khurshid stands by comment that 'Abhinandan got wings during UPA regime'

While the nation celebrated Wing Commander Abhinandan's return, Congress’ Salman Khurshid perhaps felt that the UPA ought to get some credit for the state of affairs.

In all his infinite wisdom, Khurshid felt the best way to do so would be to point out that Wing Commander Abhinandan ‘received his wings in 2004 and matured as a fighter pilot during UPA’.

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He wrote: “Many kudos for Wing Commander abhi Varthaman the face of India’s resistance to enemy aggression. Great poise and confidence in face of adversity. We are proud that he received his wings in 2004 and matured as fighter pilot during UPA”

Needless to say, the Congress leader was brutally trolled on Twitter with many wondering why he couldn’t ‘mature’ during the UPA regime. Others wondered whether his ‘nephew’ was tweeting while many labelled it the worst tweet of the year.

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Many kudos for Wing Commander abhi Varthaman the face of India’s resistance to enemy aggression. Great poise and confidence in face of adversity. We are proud that he received his wings in 2004 and matured as fighter pilot during UPA

— Salman Khurshid (@salman7khurshid) March 2, 2019

Now, will army officers be recognised by the ruling party under which they received wings?
Sad to read this from a senior political leader. https://t.co/gcxswFjt6t

— Yogendra Yadav (@_YogendraYadav) March 2, 2019

Best things heard recently. 1.Nobel peace prize for Imran Khan
2. Proud that Wing Commander Abhinandan got his wings during UPA time and matured as a pilot.
Some people have a sense of humour that is unmatched I guess

— Abhishek Bhalla (@AbhishekBhalla7) March 3, 2019

Your nephew took charge of your twitter handle? https://t.co/fkjAES7RQs

— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) March 3, 2019

OK this is seriously so silly it's not even silly. https://t.co/FPV0MWrs55

— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) March 3, 2019

Modi was born during Congress rule. Hence, credit for every achievement of Modi goes to Congress. pic.twitter.com/pRALzTjVZQ

— Keh Ke Peheno (@coolfunnytshirt) March 3, 2019

I was born when Indira was PM. Passed high school she was PM. Passed graduation Rajeev was PM, got PhD when Narsimha was PM, got first lectureship when Devegowda was PM..and what about CMs of UP, Rajasthan, Maharastra, Gujarat who made my career? https://t.co/53kp2kdArz

— Prof. Satish Pandey (@SatishPan2013) March 3, 2019

@rssurjewala get this tweet deleted....doing lots of damage to Congress....do control leaders like Digvijay Singh and Samlman khursheed, when you have leaders like them you don't need your oppponents parties... https://t.co/Zx8G9SOvgy

— varun (@varun3000041) March 3, 2019

Really does the Congress party has got anything to do with a air warrior getting his wings? It's the routine the IAF sets and the sweat the man puts makes him a true air warrior. No political party either helps or is a part of this process https://t.co/EkqW2INSg5

— Joi Baba Felunath (@avishekmullick2) March 2, 2019

Success has many fathers ....we should be thankful that they havent claimed that he was conceived during Congress rule https://t.co/kJEE5QhbvF

— Greeshma (@opsimath6) March 2, 2019

Oh Sir Come on! What does the commissioning of an officer have to do with NDA or UPA? Is it too much to expect political personalities and parties not to mix politics and the military :/https://t.co/OFRWEScTAE

— Navdeep Singh (@SinghNavdeep) March 2, 2019

Sir, if only even you had matured during UPA term, you wouldn’t have tweeted this non-sense..

— The-Lying-Lama (@KyaUkhaadLega) March 2, 2019

Oooodi Baba ! Ab dekho kamaal!

— Neha Joshi (@The_NehaJoshi) March 3, 2019

"...Also I must add, I'm forever indebted to UPA" He said this in that video which the Pakistanis made. They had to edit it out due to time constraints

— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) March 2, 2019

pic.twitter.com/VJZfAiyzOt

— shilpi tewari (@shilpitewari) March 2, 2019

Even Vijay Mallya did not take credit with so much shamelessness. https://t.co/UkJ3XhjnAz

— Numismatically Oriented (@sidin) March 2, 2019

Dumbest tweet ever https://t.co/ORXFNWTFGl

— Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) March 3, 2019

Later he said: "I didn't say the attack happened during my tenure, I had said that the person who attacked was commissioned in the Air Force during our tenure. I had only stated truth. I did not take credit."

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Saturday met Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman and conveyed to him that the entire nation is proud of his courage and determination, a day after Pakistan released him in its bid to scale down heightened tensions between the two countries.
Official sources said Varthaman briefly mentioned to Sitharaman about the mental trauma he was subjected to during his nearly 60-hour captivity in Pakistan after he was caught in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir on Wednesday.

He is mentally strong and remains in high spirits despite the harassment he suffered in Pakistan, they said. 
Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa and several top officials of the IAF also met Varthaman, who shot down an F-16 fighter of the Pakistan Air Force shortly before his jet was hit during a fierce dogfight.

The sources said he told senior IAF brass that he was subjected to severe mental trauma though he was not tortured physically in captivity.
Sitharaman met the pilot at the Army's Research and Referral hospital here where he is undergoing a series of medical tests as part of a "cooling down" process. His wife Sqn Ldr Tanvi Marwah (retd), seven-year-old son and sister Aditi were also present, the sources said. 

Varthaman arrived in the national capital by an IAF flight at around 11:45 PM Friday, nearly two-and-half hours after he crossed over to India through the Attari-Wagah border.
 

The IAF pilot was first taken to the Air Force Central Medical Establishment (AFCME), a compact and specialised medical evaluation centre for aircrew of all the three services. Later he was brought to the Army's Research and Referral hospital. 

In a tweet, the defence minister said she met Varthman and his family to "commend him on his valour, express the nation's gratitude for his selfless service, and wish him a speedy recovery".

After he was captured, Varthaman showed courage and grace in handling the most difficult circumstances for which he was praised by politicians, strategic affairs experts, ex-servicemen, celebrities and people in general.
 

The Indian strike on the JeM camp 12 days after the terror outfit claimed responsibility for a suicide attack on a CRPF convoy in Kashmir, killing 40 soldiers. 
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the return of Varthaman, saying the nation is proud of his exemplary courage.
"Welcome Home Wing Commander Abhinandan! The nation is proud of your exemplary courage. Our armed forces are an inspiration for 130 crore Indians," tweeted Modi on Friday night