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Leaders pay tributes to Pahalgam attack victims

Early Times Report

NEW DELHI, Apr 22: As India observed the first anniversary of the Pahalgam terror attack on Wednesday, President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union ministers along with leaders of various parties paid homage to the victims, asserting that the country will never bow to any form of terrorism.
Any attempt to harm people or disrupt unity will be met with strength and clarity, the government said, stressing that India will continue its zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and those who harbour it.
The dastardly attack by Pakistan-based Laskar-e-Taiba at Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir left 26 people, mostly tourists, dead and triggered a four-day military conflict with Pakistan after Indian armed forces retaliated with Operation Sindoor targeting terror infrastructure in Pakistan-controlled territories.
The Indian Army reaffirmed its steely resolve to fight against terrorism, making it clear that for acts against India, “the response is assured”.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said India will neither ever forget the sacrifice of the victims and the anguish of their families, nor will it ever forgive the perpetrators of this cowardly act.
While paying tribute to the victims, President Murmu said the country remains resolute in its determination to defeat terrorism everywhere in all its forms. “The tragic loss of innocent lives in that heinous act remains etched in our collective memory. I express my deepest condolences to the bereaved families. The entire nation stands with them. Such acts of terror cannot deter our unwavering commitment to peace and unity,” she said.
Prime Minister Modi asserted that India will never bow to any form of terror and the heinous designs of terrorists will never succeed.
“Remembering the innocent lives lost in the gruesome Pahalgam terror attack on this day last year. They will never be forgotten… As a nation, we stand united in grief and resolve. India will never bow to any form of terror. The heinous designs of terrorists will never succeed,” he said.
Vice C P President Radhakrishnan said such acts of brutality can never shake the country’s resolve to uphold peace, unity, and the enduring values of humanity.
“We remain firm in our determination to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” he said.
Union Home Minister Shah said India will continue its zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and those who harbour it. “Terrorism is the greatest enemy of humanity, against which we must stand united to fight and defeat. India will continue its zero-tolerance policy against terrorism and those who harbour it,” he said.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the nation will not forget the victims and underscored the government’s strong response to terrorism. “We will never forget those wounds inflicted on our nation. India has endured decades of cross-border terror, but today our response is firm, decisive and unwavering. Through determined action, we have demonstrated that any attempt to harm our people or disrupt our unity will be met with strength and clarity,” he said.
Union minister Nitin Gadkari said the country stands united in remembrance and solidarity with the victims’ families. “As a nation, India stands united — firm in resolve, unwavering in spirit, and resolute against all forms of terror,” he said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reiterated India’s firm resolve against terrorism. “India stands steadfast in its resolve to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” he said.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the day continues to weigh heavily on the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
“We pay tribute to the innocent lives lost in a senseless act of terror. They had come only to spend their holidays, yet were mercilessly targeted and killed. We stand in solidarity with their grieving families,” he said. The chief minister said, “On that day (April 22, 2025), we resolved – and we remain committed – that we must do everything possible to ensure such (Pahalgam type) incidents never happen again. Whether it is the elected government, the central government, or the law and order machinery, we will all work together to make this effort successful.”
BJP national president Nitin Nabin said that the nation remains resolute against terrorism and “will never bow before any form of terrorism.”
Rahul Gandhi said the entire nation stands united against terrorism.
“The memory of the innocent lives so ruthlessly snatched away continues to shake our hearts to this day. The grief of the martyrs’ families is a grief shared by us all,” he said.
The Congress party said the entire nation stands united against terrorism and will never bow before forces that seek to spread hatred and violence.
The opposition party, however, also lashed out at the central government, claiming that Pakistan, which stood isolated after the 2008 Mumbai attacks, has now acquired global respectability that reflected the “complete failure” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign policy.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan remembered the attack as a “painful reminder of the human cost of terrorism” and said it “marked a turning point” in India’s resolve against terrorism.
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Virendra Kumar said, “The people of the country will never forget this cowardly murder of killing their loved ones in Pahalgam.”