Elections 2021: The video was tweeted from Yogi Adityanath's official handle.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, campaigning in Tamil Nadu for the April 6 state election, praised Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman and bafflingly linked his achievements to a "defence corridor" established by the central government.
Abhinandan Varthaman, an Air Force pilot, was honoured with the Vir Chakra for shooting down a Pakistani F-16 jet during a dogfight on February 27, 2019 between Indian and Pakistani forces a day after India launched an air strike deep into Pakistani territory to destroy a terror training camp at Balakot. The Wing Commander was captured by the Pakistanis when his own plane fell across the border. He was held captive for 60 hours before being returned to India.
"Coimbatore is a living example of what a defence corridor can achieve. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and NDA-1 Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman established a defence corridor in Coimbatore. Today, the fruits of that are visible," Yogi Adityanath said at a rally.
"When India did a surgical strike to protect its border, Tamil Nadu's Wing Commander Abhinandan could give a fitting response to Pakistan from this soil. The state will always remember his valour and this will be the legacy of Tamil Nadu." The Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister was rewarded with cheers, though many would find it hard to fathom his entire comment. The video was tweeted later from his verified handle.
At the same rally, Yogi Adityanath also attacked the opposition DMK-Congress alliance for demeaning women and abusing mothers, referring to an offensive comment by DMK's A Raja on Chief Minister E Palaniswami.
"Those who do not respect women do not have any right to come to power," he said.