Vowing stern action against perpetrators of the Kashmir terror attack, PM Narendra Modi said: "The willpower of 140 crore Indians will now break the back of the masters of terror".
New Delhi/Patna: In his first address following the deadly terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a strong and unequivocal message to the perpetrators of the violence, asserting that India will pursue them to the "end of the Earth" and that terrorism will not go unpunished.
Speaking at a massive gathering in Madhubani, Bihar, on the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day, the Prime Minister condemned the "cowardly" attack, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians, mostly tourists. He called upon the public to observe a two-minute silence in memory of the victims.
"From the soil of Bihar, I want to tell the world -- India will identify, trace, and punish every terrorist and their backers," PM Modi declared. "We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth. India's spirit will never be broken by terrorism. Terrorism will not go unpunished. Every effort will be made to ensure justice. The nation is united in this resolve. Everyone who believes in humanity is with us," he said.
Calling the attack an assault on "India's very soul," the Prime Minister said, "The brutal killing of innocent citizens in Pahalgam has deeply saddened the country. From Kargil to Kanyakumari, the whole of India is grieving."
He emotionally recalled the diversity of the victims, noting, "In this terrorist attack, some lost their son, some lost brothers, some lost their life partners. Some of the victims spoke Bangla, some spoke Kannada, some Marathi, Odia, Gujarati and Bihari. From Kargil to Kanyakumari, we are all grieving for them."
Home Minister Amit Shah meets family members of terror attack victims. (Photo courtesy: X@AmitShah)
Reaffirming his government's commitment to bring the attackers to justice, he said, "Those who carried out this terrorist attack and those who planned it will receive a punishment far greater than they can imagine. We will punish them."
The Prime Minister also thanked nations that extended support to India in the aftermath of the terror attack, which was orchestrated by The Resistance Front, a Pakistan-based outfit linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba.
From Kashmir to Kolkata, several candlelight marches were organised across the country in memory of those who lost their lives in the attack. The attack has since triggered a string of strong retaliatory diplomatic and strategic actions by India, including suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, expulsion of Pakistani military attaches, closure of the Attari-Wagah border, and cancellation of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme for Pakistani nationals.
Top world leaders dial PM Modi
Several top leaders of the world, including French President Emmanuel Macron, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, King Abdullah II of Jordan and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba dialled PM Modi on April 24, expressing their condolences over the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack.
Netanyahu expressed his condolences, and those of the Israeli people, to PM Modi and the Indian people over the "Islamist terrorist attack in Kashmir". Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also called PM Modi and strongly condemned the terrible terror attack on Indian soil. In his call, French President Emmanuel Macron conveyed his personal condolences on the brutal killing of innocent people in the heinous terror attack in the Indian Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told PM Modi that terrorism cannot be justified.
Opposition stands united in fight against terror
The Opposition parties condemned the Pahalgam massacre that has cost 26 lives and unleashed one of the worst face-offs with Pakistan. After attending an all-party meeting where the leaders were briefed by Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and intelligence officers, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said, "All political parties have uniformly condemned it and the Opposition has given full support to the government to take any action".
Pakistan retaliates; shuts airspace for India
Pakistan suspended bilateral agreements and trade activities with India, while closing its airspace to Indian aircraft, in a response to New Delhi’s move to suspend the Indus Water Treaty and downgrade diplomatic ties.
It also threatened to keep in abeyance the Shimla Agreement, a major peace treaty signed between the two countries in 1972 following the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War.
