Pigeon arrested in India for carrying threatening message to PM
A pigeon, which most likely came from Pakistan, was taken into custody by border guards after a letter addressed to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was found on the bird.
The letter to PM Modi was written in Urdu, a language spoken in Pakistan, and read: “Modi Ji, do not consider us same people as we were during 1971 (Indo-Pak war). Now each and every child is ready to fight against India.”
The grey pigeon was discovered by India’s Border Security Force (BSF) near Simbal post in Bamial sector on Sunday, the Times of India reported.
Police Inspector Ramesh Kumar said that the bird was taken into “custody.”
"We are investigating the matter,” he added.
Similar messages to Modi, which were carried by two balloons, were recovered in the same region on Saturday.
A white pigeon with a piece of paper containing “some words written in Urdu,” was also discovered in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district in September.
The historically strained relationship between India and Pakistan has again escalated in recent month.
It started with the killing of prominent separatist leader, Burhan Wani, in the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir by Indian security forces in July, and the subsequent crackdown on his supporters.
In September, 18 Indian soldiers were killed in an attack on an army base, with New Delhi blaming Islamabad for the incident.
This week, India said it had carried out “surgical strikes” against Pakistan-based militants across the de facto border in Kashmir, but Pakistan said that the attack targeted its military, killing two troops.
The 1971 war was one of the many conflicts between the neighbors. It lasted for 13 days, concluding with the surrender of Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh, which seceded from Pakistan.
The Pakistani military lost over 9,000 troops in the conflict and saw over 93,000 taken prisoner. The casualties on the Indian side are estimated between around 2,500 and 4,000.
