Modi, Prez lead tributes on 20 yrs of Parliament attack
NEW DELHI: President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday led the nation in paying tributes to security personnel who made the supreme sacrifice while fighting terrorists during the Parliament attack on this day in 2001. All five terrorists belonging to the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jaishe-Mohammed (JeM) who were involved in the attack and eight security personnel besides a gardener had died in the incident which brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war.
“I pay homage to brave security personnel who laid down their lives on this day in 2001, defending the Parliament of the world’s largest democracy against a dastardly terrorist attack. The nation shall forever remain grateful to them for their supreme sacrifice,” President Kovind tweeted.
“I pay my tributes to all those security personnel who were martyred in the line of duty during the Parliament attack in 2001. Their service to the nation and supreme sacrifice continues to inspire every citizen,” Modi tweeted. In Parliament, members of both Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha also paid tributes to the security personnel who laid down their lives in the attack.
The members in both houses of Parliament stood in silence for a brief period as a mark of respect for the departed souls.
As soon as the Lok Sabha met for the day, Speaker Om Birla mentioned about the security personnel and a staff who were killed in the attack, and emphasised that the resolve to fight terrorism will be strengthened.
The members of the Lower House stood in silence for a brief period as a mark of respect for the security personnel who laid down their lives in the attack.
In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said the day marks the 20th anniversary of the dastardly terror attack on the Parliament House.
“On this day in 2001, evil forces of terrorism tried to sabotage this August institution. However, their sinister motives were thwarted by the timely action of our valiant security forces, who kept a constant vigil on the situation and were steadfast in protecting this temple of democracy, even to the extent of laying down their lives,” he said.
Naidu said on the occasion, “we all also reiterate our firm resolve” to fight terrorism with determination. The Rajya Sabha members observed silence as a mark of respect for the security personnel killed in the attack.
Union home minister Amit Shah and defence minister Rajnath Singh also paid homage to the deceased personnel.
The nine people who lost their lives in the attack were -- Jagdish Prasad Yadav and Matbar Singh
Negi, both security assistants at the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Kamlesh Kumari, a CRPF constable, Nanak Chand and Rampal, assistant sub-inspectors of the Delhi Police, Om Prakash, Bijender Singh and Ghanshyam, head constables of the Delhi Police, and Deshraj, a gardener employed by the CPWD.