NEW DELHI, July 11:
Strongly condemning the attack on Amarnath yatris, President Pranab Mukhejree today asked the Jammu and Kashmir Government and other agencies concerned to ensure that the guilty were brought to justice.
“Such senseless acts of terrorism targeting innocent lives is an attack on the democratic values of the society and deserve to be universally condemned. They must be met with determination and collective action,” the President said in a message to Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra.
He called upon the J&K Government and all agencies concerned to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice and law and order is maintained in the State.
Mukherjee has strongly condemned last night’s terrorist attack on the Amarnath yatris, a press release issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.
“I am deeply shocked and anguished to learn about the cowardly attack on Amarnath yatris in Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir in which a number of innocent pilgrims lost their lives and several others were injured,” he said.
Mukherjee said: “I am sure necessary steps are being taken to provide all possible aid to the bereaved families who have lost their near and dear ones as well as medical assistance to the injured”.
Vice President Hamid Ansari has also expressed shock at the “dastardly” attack on Amarnath pilgrims in Kashmir.
In his message, he condoled the families of the deceased and said perpetrators of such “wanton” acts of violence should be punished for the “crime against humanity”.
He said India remains united in the face of such attacks.
“I’m shocked to learn of the dastardly terrorist attack on Amarnath yatra in Kashmir which has resulted in loss of lives and injuries to pilgrims,” he said.
“Such wanton acts of violence can have no justification. The perpetrators and those who support and shelter them should be punished for this crime against humanity,” Ansari said.
Meanwhile, Opposition parties today asked the Government to introspect on its failure to prevent the “cowardly and ghastly” terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims despite advance intelligence inputs.
Eighteen opposition parties, which met at Parliament Library to decide on their Vice Presidential candidate, unanimously passed a resolution against yesterday’s terror strike, which they termed an attack on humanity and on India’s plurality and diversity.
“The Government needs to introspect as to why, despite advanced intelligence inputs, was there a failure to prevent this attack?”, the resolution said.
“We the leaders of the Opposition parties strongly condemn the cowardly and ghastly terrorist attack on the Amarnath yatris,” the resolution said.
The parties, the resolution added, extended their deepest sympathies to families of the victims with whom they stood in this hour of grief.
“This is an attack on humanity. This is an attack on the plurality and diversity of India. This is an attack on the human values and Kashmiriyat.
“We call upon the Government to use all the resources at its command to bring the real masterminds and perpetrators of this inhuman act to justice.”
“This is a grave and unacceptable security lapse. The PM needs to accept responsibility and never allow it to happen again…
“India will never be intimidated by these terrorist cowards,” he tweeted.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said the leaders of 18 opposition parties observed a two-minute silence at the start of the meeting in memory of the Amarnath yatris killed in Kashmir.
The meeting was convened by Congress President Sonia Gandhi and attended by former Prime Ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda.
Top opposition leaders, including JD(U)’s Sharad Yadav, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury, CPI’s Sudhakar Reddy, TMC’s Derek O’Brien, SP’s Naresh Agarwal, BSP’s Satish Chandra Misra, NC’s Omar Abdullah and NCP’s Praful Patel, attended the meeting.
Others who participated in the meeting included Jai Prakash Yadav of the RJD, Ajit Singh of the RLD and Hemant Soren of the JMM.
Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge and Ahmed Patel, were also present.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has hit out at the Government over the terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims, terming it a “grave and unacceptable security lapse” and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept responsibility.
India, he said, will never be intimidated by terrorists.
“This is a grave and unacceptable security lapse. The PM needs to accept responsibility and never allow it to happen again… India will never be intimidated by these terrorist cowards,” he said in tweets.
Targeting the Government, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep S Surjewala said the attack was a matter of serious security lapse on the part of the government and security forces.
The bus, which was fired upon by terrorists in Kashmir killing seven pilgrims, was not registered with the Amarnath Shrine Board and plying without any security cover long after the evening deadline fixed for the vehicles carrying Amarnath ‘yatris’, he said
“These lapses allowed terrorists an opportunity to attack pilgrims. The prime minister must answer,” he said, condemning the “barbaric” attack.
He cited a string of terror attacks in the Valley and sought a time-bound inquiry into the matter.
Terrorists last night killed seven pilgrims, including six women, and injured 19 others as they struck at a bus in Kashmir’s Anantnag district, in the worst attack on the annual pilgrimage since the year 2001. (PTI)
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