Pulwama terror attack LIVE UPDATES: Forty CRPF personnel were killed in an attack in Pulwama on Thursday. (Express photo/Praveen Khanna)Pulwama terror attack LIVE UPDATES: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday called for a review of security of “elements” in Jammu and Kashmir which are “funded by Pakistan and its snooping agency ISI”. In a veiled reference to separatists and hardline Hurriyat Conference leaders, the minister said, “Some elements in Jammu and Kashmir have links with the ISI and terrorist organisation. We will win the decisive war against terrorism.”
Singh was addressing the media in Srinagar on the deaths of the 40 CRPF personnel during a suicide bomb attack in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district yesterday. Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has claimed responsibility for the attack. The minister announced that no civilian movement will be allowed on highways and major roads in Jammu and Kashmir during the movement of convoys of army and security forces.
Meanwhile, the government is holding talks with representatives of P5 countries – US, UK, France, Russia and China – in the national capital on the matter. Envoys from some other G-20 countries have also been called for the meeting.
Watch: Wreath laying ceremony at Palam airport
Rajnath, Kejriwal, Sitharaman pay tribute to slain soldiers
Rajnath Singh, Arvind Kejriwal and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman also arrived at the venue to pay their respects.
See photos: Rahul, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore pay homage to slain jawans
Rahul Gandhi pays tribute to slain CRPF personnel
Congress supremo Rahul Gandhi paid his respects to the slain CRPF jawans at Delhi airport.
PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal to pay tributes to slain jawans
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal are among those likely to pay their last respects to the CRPF personnel at the airport.
Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar cancel Karachi Arts Council event
Veteran actor Shabana Azmi on Friday said she and her husband, lyricist-writer Javed Akhtar, have decided not to attend Kaifi Azmi’s birth centenary celebrations in Karachi in the wake of Pulwama terror attack. The couple was invited to Pakistan by the Karachi Arts Council for a two-day event. “@Javedakhtarjadu and I were invited for a 2 day event celebrating Kaifi’s Centenary and were truly looking forward to it. I appreciate that our hosts the Karachi Arts Council mutually agreed to cancel the event at the nth hour in the wake of Pulwama attack,” Azmi posted on Twitter. Read full story here.
Mortal remains of jawans arrive at Palam airport
Tripura CM leads candle light march to pay homage to slain jawans
Rajnath Singh visits injured CRPF personnel in Srinagar
MEA highlights role of Pakistan in Pulwama attack
Sources added that Gokhale also highlighted the role played by Pakistan in using terrorism as an instrument of its state policy. The Ministry of External Affairs will continue to take all steps to expose the complicity of Pakistan in the Pulwama terrorist attack and demand immediate and verifiable action against JeM and its leader Masood Azhar, sources said.
Govt concludes meet with representatives of various countries
In the national capital, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale held a meeting with around 25 Heads of Mission from all P-5 countries, all South Asian countries and other important partners like Japan, Germany, Republic of Korea among others. “All envoys were left in no doubt about the role played by Pakistan based and supported JeM in the terrorist attack and our demand is that Pakistan ceases all support and financing to terror groups operating from areas under their control," sources said.
Mortal remains of jawans arrive in Delhi
The flight carrying the mortal remains of the CRPF jawans have arrived in Delhi.
Pakistan unleashing proxy war in J&K, says Hardeep Puri
Condemning the "cowardly" Pulwama terror attack, Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri has accused Pakistan of unleashing a proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir. "We express our grief with the families of the CRPF jawans who were martyred following the dastardly and cowardice act of terror in Pulwama yesterday," Puri said while speaking to reporters in Amritsar. The minister also said that Pakistan was unleashing a proxy war in Jammu and Kashmir and alleged that the country had not taken concrete steps to stop terror attacks on India.
Rahul Gandhi to visit Palam airport to receive bodies of slain jawans
According to news agency ANI, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will visit Palam airport in New Delhi, where the bodies of the slain CRPF jawans are expected to arrive from Kashmir.
AMU student suspended over ‘objectionable’ tweet, FIR registered
An Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) student was booked by the Uttar Pradesh Police over an objectionable tweet on the Pulwama attack. Basim Hilal, a resident of Kashmir, was booked under sections 153A (promoting enmity between different groups) of the Indian Penal Code and section 67A of the Information Technology Act. He has also been suspended by the varsity in this regard. Read full story here.
Won’t forgive, will avenge Pulwama deaths: CRPF
Earlier in the day, the CRPF said it won’t “forget and forgive” but will “avenge” the death of 40 of its personnel. The country’s largest paramilitary force put out a tweet from its official handle saying, “We will not forget, we will not forgive.” “We salute our martyrs of Pulwama attack and stand with the families of our martyr brothers. This heinous attack will be avenged,” it said on the micro-blogging site. Read full story here.
Delhi HC declines urgent hearing of plea related to use of 'martyr' word
Meanwhile, the Delhi High Court today declined to give an urgent hearing to a plea seeking directions to the media to refer to the deaths of armed forces personnel as martyr or 'shaheed' instead of terming it as a killing. The petition was mentioned in the afternoon before a bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice C Hari Shankar by a lawyer, who is also the petitioner, seeking that it be heard on Friday itself. "This is not a plea seeking bail. Someone's liberty is not at stake. Not today. There is no urgency. It will be listed on Monday in normal course," the court said and added that "we should not have to tell you all this, you (petitioner) should understand it".
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson condemns Pulwama attack
Expressing shock over the attack, Chinese envoy to India Luo Zhaohui, in a statement, said, "Shocked by the attack, the Chinese side extends sincere sympathy and condolences to the bereaved families and the injured. The Chinese side firmly opposes and strongly condemns terrorism in any form, hoping regional countries join hands together to confront the threat of terrorism so as to maintain regional peace and security."
Envoys from G-20 countries join meeting in Delhi
Rajnath Singh lends a shoulder to slain CRPF jawan’s coffin
Bodies to be flown to Delhi
The bodies of the slain jawans will be flown to New Delhi where PM Modi will pay them homage.
Rajnath vows to win decisive war against terror, says morale of jawans not hit
In a stern message to terrorists in the aftermath of the lethal Pulwama attack, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh vowed that India will “see this fight against terrorism to the end.” “I have requested the state governments to extend the maximum help they can lend to the bereaved families. I have given all the necessary directions to the officers. The morale has not taken a hit. We’ll see this fight against terrorism to the end,” Singh told reporters after a high-level security review meeting in Srinagar. Singh also said the civilian traffic will be restricted for some time on highways and major roads in Jammu and Kashmir during the movement of convoys of army and security forces. “This may cause inconvenience and I apologise for this but this is necessary for the safety of jawans,” he added. Read full story here.
Centre holds talks with P5 nations
India condemns Pulwama attack, summons Pakistan envoy to India
India on Friday issued a very strong demarche to Pakistan in connection with the terror attack on a CRPF convoy in which 40 security personnel lost their lives in south Kashmir’s Pulwama yesterday. Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale summoned Pakistan High Commissioner to India Sohail Mahmood and asked him to initiate immediate action against Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), a Pakistan-based terror outfit, which has claimed responsibility for the attack. A Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the other hand, took stock of the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and decided to take diplomatic action to isolate Pakistan on an international level. Follow this live blog for all latest updates.