The jubilant mood of the nation over Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman's homecoming is reflected on social media - on Twitter, #WelcomeHomeAbhinandan has trended all day. The euphoric posts include one from Shah Rukh Khan, who wrote: "There is no better feeling than coming back home, for home is the place of love, hope and dreams. Your bravery makes us stronger. Eternally grateful." Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was handed over by Pakistan at Wagah Border today. He was captured by Pakistan after an aerial confrontation with 24 Pakistani jets which attempted to cross the Line of Control on Wednesday. He shot down a Pakistani F-16 before his own MiG 21 Bison crashed and he was forced to eject.
Yesterday, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that they would release Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman as a 'gesture of peace,' after flaring tension between the two countries. Shah Rukh Khan's is just one of several joyful posts on social media today. Read what he tweeted here:
There is no better feeling than Coming back Home, for home is the place of love, hope & dreams. Ur bravery makes us stronger. Eternally grateful. #WelcomeBackAbhinandan pic.twitter.com/NFTRINu6Mw
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) March 1, 2019
Meanwhile, here's what Bollywood stars Ranveer Singh, Anushka Sharma, Abhishek Bachchan and Arjun Kapoor tweeted.
Welcome home Abhinandan!! Inspiration to our whole nation . Jai Hind
— Ranveer Singh (@RanveerOfficial) March 1, 2019
The entire nation welcomes you home Abhinandan. You are a true Hero.
— Anushka Sharma (@AnushkaSharma) March 1, 2019
Welcome back. #WelcomeHomeHero #AbhinanadanVarthaman
— Abhishek Bachchan (@juniorbachchan) March 1, 2019
We salute your valour and the entire nation is extremely proud of you Wing Commander Abhinandan... Welcome home :)
— Arjun Kapoor (@arjunk26) March 1, 2019
Deepika Padukone, who is currently busy with the shooting of Chappak, posted a picture of the National flag on her Instagram profile and wrote:"Jai Hind."
"Our hero is home," tweeted Alia Bhatt.
Our hero is home. #Abhinandan
— Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) March 1, 2019
Shahid Kapoor wrote: "What a blessed visual to see our hero come back home. #Jaihind."
What a blessed visual to see our hero come back home. #Jaihind
— Shahid Kapoor (@shahidkapoor) March 1, 2019
Filmmaker Karan Johar also expressed his happiness in the form of a tweet: "We salute your bravery and valour... We applaud your strength in the face of adversity. #WelcomeHomeAbhinandan."
We salute your bravery and valour....we applaud your strength in the face of adversity....#WelcomeHomeAbhinandan
— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) March 1, 2019
In his tweet, Sui Dhaaga actor Varun Dhawan addressed the pilot as a "true hero" and wrote: "Welcome back home Abinandan, a true hero. These humane actions give hope that all humanity is not lost." The 31-year-old actor signed off his tweet saying, "Bharat mata ki jai."
Welcome back home #WelcomeBackAbinandan a true hero. These humane actions give hope that all humanity is not lost. Bharat mata ki Jai
— Varun Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) March 1, 2019
"Finally! Abhinandan returns," tweeted Taapsee Pannu, while Huma Qureshi wrote: "You are a true hero."
Finally !!!!!!!! #AbhinandanReturns
— taapsee pannu (@taapsee) March 1, 2019
You are a true Hero !! #WelcomeHomeAbhinandan India is proud of you
— Huma Qureshi (@humasqureshi) March 1, 2019
Riteish Deshmukh tweeted: "Welcome back home Dear Abhinanadan. We salute your courage, bravery and service to our nation."
Welcome Back Home Dear #Abhinanadan - we salute your courage, bravery & service to our nation.
— Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) March 1, 2019
Here are some more tweets by Bollywood celebrities:
#WelcomeHomeAbhinandan You are a real hero and we as a nation stand beside you, Thank you for your selfless service, Jai Hind
— Sidharth Malhotra (@SidMalhotra) March 1, 2019
Everyone can learn something or two about real heroism from you. The entire nation is extremely proud of you and your courage! #WelcomebackAbhinanadan
— Parineeti Chopra (@ParineetiChopra) March 1, 2019
There is no place like home. Love, respect and gratitude Wing Commander Abhinandan #WelcomeHomeAbhinandan #Peace #UnitedForPeace #SayNoToWar pic.twitter.com/wjt3jitDxd
— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) March 1, 2019
Everyone awaits your return . Proud of you sir !! Salutes to the brave son of india #WelcomeHomeAbhinandan
— Emraan Hashmi (@emraanhashmi) March 1, 2019
It's midnight & I cannot sleep. I'm so happy that #AbhinandanVartaman is going to be coming home. I can only imagine what his family feels right now. Every minute will feel like a lifetime & the heart will skip many beats. #WelcomeBackAbhinandan We salute your bravery & valour
— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) March 1, 2019
Here's what film producer Apoorva Mehta tweeted:
The face of bravery and courage for an entire nation. You showed the entire world what the love for a country means and from all of us, #WelcomeHomeAbhinandan!
— Apoorva Mehta (@apoorvamehta18) March 1, 2019
Two weeks ago, a suicide bomber in Pulwama, Kashmir blew up a CRPF bus killing 40 soldiers. Terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed claimed responsibility. This week, tension between India and Pakistan escalated after Indian jets bombed Jaish's biggest training camp at Balakot in Pakistan, which tried to target Indian military installations in response. Global leaders intervened to urge both countries to step back from hostilities.
