INDIA Bloc stands firmly with Centre against terrorism: Tejashwi Yadav

Patna, April 26 (IANS) Bihar Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Tejashwi Yadav said on Saturday that the INDIA Bloc stands firmly with the Union government against terrorism, following the tragic Pahalgam terror attack.

“Terrorism and anti-national activities must be eradicated from their roots in the country. Until this is done, incidents like Pahalgam will continue to happen. Our primary concern is that the country and its citizens remain safe,” he said.

The Bihar LoP added that whatever action the Union government takes against such forces, “INDIA Bloc will fully support it. This has already been clarified during the all-party meeting held in Delhi,” he said.

Bihar LoP Tejashwi Yadav urged that no political games should be played over the issue, adding: “Our fight is against terrorists who targeted our innocent tourists after asking about their religion, and also against those who discriminate based on caste. There should be no confusion about this. The entire country is united, and we need to act decisively against these terror elements.”

He also stressed that crimes and terrorism have no caste or religion.

“Whether it is terrorism or crime, it has neither caste nor religion. Our collective fight must focus on protecting the unity and integrity of the nation,” Yadav said.

At least 26 tourists were killed on Tuesday after gunmen opened fire on innocent civilians in Baisaran in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to eyewitness accounts, a group of heavily armed terrorists emerged from the nearby forests and opened indiscriminate fire on civilians, most of whom were tourists.

Baisran is a small meadow three to four km from the Pahalgam market, and tourists take horses to reach the place as there is no motorable road to it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday morning after cutting his Saudi Arabia trip short due to the terror attack.

He had a brief meeting with NSA Ajit Doval, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at the airport. PM Modi strongly condemned the terror attack on Tuesday, stating that the guilty will be brought to justice and reaffirming India’s “unshakable” resolve to fight terrorism.

--IANS

ajk/dan