NEW DELHI: Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday asserted that the government will track down those responsible for the Pahalgam attack, Jammu and Kashmir, and ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable for the heinous act.
“Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have given a strong reply to everything, be it the north east, the areas of Left Wing Extremism or the shadow of terrorism in Kashmir,” Shah said at an event to unveil a statue of Upendra Nath Brahma, the patriarch of Assam’s Bodo community, and name a road after him.
“And if those who indulge in terror think that killing 27 citizens was a big victory, I want to tell them that this is not the end. We will hunt down each and every perpetrator,” the home minister said, promising to avenge the deaths.
Notably, 26 people—mostly tourists—lost their lives in the April 22 attack. Additionally, a 31-year-old doctor from Tamil Nadu who was injured in the incident remains in critical condition and is on ventilatory support at AIIMS in Delhi.
“It is our resolve to uproot terrorism from every inch of this country and it will be fulfilled. In this fight, not only 140 crore people of this country but the entire world is standing with India against terrorism. Our fight will continue till terrorism is eliminated. Those who have done this act (terrorist attack) will be suitably punished,” Shah said.
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On April 22, a group of heavily armed terrorists emerged from the forest and opened fire on tourists at the Baisaran grassland near Pahalgam, in an attack that echoed the peak years of militancy in the 1990s and 2000s. It stands as the deadliest assault on civilians in India since the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
In response, the political leadership has vowed a strong and decisive retaliation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently declared that India will chase down terrorists to the ends of the earth. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh emphasized that not only the perpetrators but also those who directed the attack will be punished—a statement widely seen as a strong warning to Pakistan.
Following the incident, India has initiated a series of punitive diplomatic actions, including the suspension of the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty, a downgrade in bilateral relations, the expulsion of most Pakistani nationals residing in India, and the closure of the only active land border crossing at Attari.
In return, Pakistan has responded with reciprocal measures—closing its airspace to Indian carriers, halting all trade with India, and threatening to withdraw from key agreements like the Simla Accord. Despite these escalations, both nations have so far refrained from abandoning the existing ceasefire.
Turning to the people who lost their family members in the terror attack, Shah said, “I want to tell the family of those killed in the terrorist attack that this loss is not only yours, but every citizen of the country is equally sad”.
Among those in attendance at the event were Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. Home Minister Amit Shah unveiled a statue of Bodo leader Upendranath Brahma—a prominent social activist and former president of the All Bodo Students’ Union—and honored his legacy on the 35th anniversary of his passing. In a tribute to his contributions, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi has renamed a section of Lala Lajpat Rai Marg in South Delhi as Bodofa Upendranath Brahma Marg.
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