IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman’s mannequin displayed at Pak Air Force War Museum

File image: PTI

A picture of Indian Air Force officer Abhinandan Varthaman’s mannequin has gone viral on social media platform Twitter and Indian netizens are not happy about it. The said mannequin has been displayed at a Pakistan Air Force war museum alongside a mug, in all probability to mock the Wing Commander.

The photo of the museum exhibit was shared by Pakistani political journalist Anwar Lodhi from his official Twitter handle. To add insult to injury, he captioned it: “Pakistan Air Force has put a mannequin of Abhi Nandhan on display in the museum. This would be a more interesting display if they could arrange a Cup of FANTASTIC tea in his hand.”

PAF has put mannequin of Abhi Nandhan on display in the museum. This would be a more interesting display, if it they can arrange a Cup of FANTASTIC tea in his hand. pic.twitter.com/ZKu9JKcrSQ

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— Anwar Lodhi (@AnwarLodhi) November 9, 2019

Instead of cowering, the pilot had gone ahead and thanked his captors for the “fantastic tea”.

Several persons across both countries had shared this video clip, quickly turning the IAF officer into a symbol of valour and glory in India. However, it had gone viral in Pakistan, for a different reason. Social media users and journalists in the neighbouring country mostly shared it to poke fun at the officer and troll the Indian Air Force.

And this is not the first time that Pakistan has tried to mock the incident or the young officer. In the follow up to the World Cup matches played this year, they had launched an advertisement featuring a man whose face blackened to match Varthaman’s. It faced quite a backlash, with people saying it is in bad taste to use a sensitive incident to release a campaign mocking another country.

IAF officer Abhinandan Varthaman became a household name and the face of bravery in the country after his Mig 21 Bison was shot down by Pakistani forces following the Balakot airstrikes. He was taken captive by the Pakistanis and kept in their custody until his release on March 1, 2019.