Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting the Centre to confer the nation’s highest military honour, the Param Vir Chakra, on Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.
Winning hearts
“Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman displayed amazing poise and confidence in the face of adverse conditions, which has won him many hearts across the country. It is appropriate that he be awarded India’s highest military honour, the Param Vir Chakra (PVC), for displaying the most inimitable gallantry and valour,” the Chief Minister said in the letter.
Mr. Palaniswami also said it was due to the diplomatic initiatives of the Prime Minister and intense international pressure that the IAF pilot was released by Pakistan.
‘Not even during Kargil’
However, defence sources pointed out that the highest gallantry award is given for exemplary valour displayed by soldiers only during war.
The military award was not even given during the Kargil operations.
In a separate letter, Mr. Palaniswami thanked the Prime Minister for naming the Chennai Central railway station after former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran.