'Declare Varthaman's gunslinger as national moustache'

Air Force officer Abhinandan Varthaman's popular gunslinger moustache made an unusual debut in the Lok Sabha debates with the Congress pitching for it to be declared as a 'national moustache'.

“I would like to state that Abhinandan Varthaman should be decorated with the 'Bharat Shri' award and his moustache should be given the status of a national moustache,” Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury made the demand participating in the discussion in the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address.

Chowdhury made the comments while referring to the Balakot airstrikes and made it clear that the Congress supported the action of the armed forces.

Varthaman's moustache became a national rage after videos of the IAF Wing Commander in Pakistani custody went viral. Varthaman was captured by the Pakistani rangers in February after his MiG 21 Bison was downed in aerial combat on February 27 as Indo-Pak tension soared in the aftermath of the Balakot airstrikes.

Varthaman's moustache also featured in television advertisments aired ahead of the India-Pakistan encounter in the cricket world cup earlier this month.

Soon after Chowdhury's demand, former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah wondered whether Congress leaders would soon be seen sporting the gunslinger moustache like the one sported by Varthaman.

“Congress wants India to have a ‘national moustache’. I look forward to seeing all my friends in the Congress sporting Abhinandan ‘tache,” Abdullah said on Twitter.