A Twitterstorm erupted as Pakistan’s controversial actress Veena Malik mocked Indian pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured by the Pakistan forces during the India-Pakistan dogfight earlier in February.
A lot of Indians said they were proud of the bravery and gumption displayed by the fighter pilot while in Pakistani custody. He was released in less than three days.
Some livid netizens also trolled the actress, reminding her of her rumoured love affair with Indian actor Ashmit Patel during a stint in the reality show Big Boss.
The actress is known to have landed in hot water and invite trouble with her controversial acts and rants.
Veena Malik, who had a brief stint in the Indian film industry, has been in the news for her nude photographs and controversial statements.
In one such incident, she was even-handed a 26-year jail term by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court for ‘malicious acts’ of blasphemy, after appearing in a wedding scene, on a daytime broadcast by Geo TV depicting the marriage of the Prophet Mohamed’s daughter.
The programme had sparked a wave of controversy in the Islamic country when it was aired in May 2014.
Wing Commander Abhinandan was taken into custody by Pakistani forces on 27 February after his MiG-21 was shot down in fierce aerial combat over Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
The pilot had reportedly also shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet in the process. He was released after 60 hours of detention in Pakistan.
The 27 February dogfight followed a buildup from the 14 February Pulwama terror attack allegedly carried out by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in which more than 40 Indian soldiers had died. India responded with airstrikes against alleged JeM terror camps on Pakistani soil on 26 February.