India claims arrest of ‘Pakistani pigeon’ with message for Modi

‘Do not consider us same people as we were during 1971… now each and every child is ready to fight against...

India has once again claimed to have taken into custody a “Pakistani pigeon” with Urdu scribble written on its wings from Bamial village in Indian Punjab.

The pigeon, detained by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) personnel, had an Urdu message addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to the Press Trust of India (PTI).

Pathankot(Punjab): A pigeon with a threat letter written in Urdu found at Simbal post by BSF,the pigeon ws later handed over to local police pic.twitter.com/jyi6a7E6iq

— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2016

The development came just a day after Indian forces claimed to have recovered two balloons with a similar message from the same area. “Modi, do not consider us the same people as we were during 1971. Now each and every child is ready to fight against India,” read the message.

Punjab: Two balloons were spotted in Ghesal village of Gurdaspur yesterday, with a message written in Urdu. Investigation has begun pic.twitter.com/2KM4NxpRtN

— ANI (@ANI) October 2, 2016

A senior police official in Pathankot said the grey-coloured pigeon was found by BSF near their post on Sunday. “The pigeon was carrying the letter when it was found,” Inspector Ramesh Kumar said, adding the bird was been taken into “custody”. “We are investigating the matter.”

This is not the first time India has ‘arrested’ a pigeon on suspicion of spying. Last year, a pigeon allegedly bearing a stamped message with a wire-like object on its body had made Indian authorities question its flight into the village of Pathankot in Punjab.

Relations between the two nuclear-armed south Asia neighbours have plummeted since India claimed to have carried out “surgical strikes” into temporary militant camps inside the Pakistani territory on Wednesday.