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As seven Amarnath pilgrims, including five women, were killed in an attack on Monday evening, politicians across party lines expressed their shock, condemning the dastardly attack.
President Pranab Mukherjee condemned the attack strongly. Taking to Twitter, he said:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that he had “spoken to the governor and chief minister of J&K and assured all possible assistance,” expressing his shock over the attack:
Defence and finance minister Arun Jaitley also expressed his shock and offered his condolences to the bereaved:
BJP President Amit Shah also took to Twitter to strongly condemn the attack, adding that he has asked “karyakartas in Kashmir to help pilgrims in need.”
Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region (Independent charge), who also holds another portfolio with the PMO, reacted sharply to the attack on the yatris:
Kashmiri Leaders and Separatists Grieve Over Killing of ‘Guests’
Former and current ministers of Kashmir expressed grief over the attack. Speaking to the media, Jammu and Kashmir CM said:
The terrorists have tainted the name of Kashmiris and Muslims. We hang our heads in shame. I have no words to condemn this, I hope those involved will be arrested and punished soon. We will not rest before they are punished.
Omar Abdullah, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, expressed his shock and grief, alluding to the recent protests over mob lynchings in his hashtag:
Even the Kashmiri separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chairman of the Awami Action Committee (one of the two key factions of the All Parties Hurriyat Conference), offered solidarity to the victims:
Opposition Blames BJP for Security Lapses
Leaders of Opposition while condemning the attack also lay blame with the BJP for the lapses in security.
Rahul Gandhi, Congress Vice President also expressed his grief, reiterating PM Modi’s stance that India will “never be intimidated by these attacks”.
In another tweet, he condemned the attack as a lapse in security, urging the Prime Minister to take responsibility.
Speaking to ANI, Congress’ Randeep Surjewala also said this is a lapse in security.
Muralidhar Rao, the current National General-Secretary of the BJP said:
Sitaram Yechury, the Secretary General of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), lashed out at the ruling party at the Centre:
Ashok Gehlot, the Congress party’s national general secretary, tweeted:
Priyanka Chaturvedi, the Congress’s national spokesperson, said that simply condemning the attack wasn’t enough:
Naveen Patnaik, chief minister of Odisha, tweeted:
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