Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi paid floral tributes at the Parliament complex to those who lost their lives in the 2001 Parliament attack.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Leader of Opposition in the upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad were among those who paid floral tributes. As a mark of respect, Naidu removed his cap before paying floral tributes to the deceased.
Eighteen years ago on December 13, terrorists of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) attacked the Parliament complex and opened fire, killing nine people.
The victims included five Delhi police personnel, a woman Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) trooper, two Parliament staff and a gardener. A journalist who was injured died later. All five terrorists were shot dead.
Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs -Vinayak Raut (Shiv Sena), Pragya Singh Thakur (BJP), A K Anthony (Congress), ministers Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti, Ramdas Athawale were among those present. Earlier, President Ram Nath Kovind and Union ministers also paid tributes.
A grateful nation salutes the exemplary valour and courage of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives while defending the Parliament from terrorists on this day in 2001. We remain firm in our resolve to defeat and eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) December 13, 2019
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tweeted: “Today let us remember the martyrs who sacrificed their lives defending and protecting the Parliament of India from the terrorist attack.”
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri saluted those who lost their lives in the attack in his tweet.
I join a grateful nation in paying tribute to the bravehearts who sacrificed their lives to valiantly defend our parliament against a dastardly terror attack on this day in 2001.
New India will forever remain indebted to them for their selflessness, fortitude & courage. pic.twitter.com/zwDD2uaFQ7
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) December 13, 2019
In a message on Twitter, the Trinamool Congress paid tribute to the victims of the Parliament attack, saying, “Violence in any form is condemnable. Let us all strive for peace.”
Today we pay tribute to the martyrs of the 2001 #Parliament House attack. Violence in any form is condemnable. Let us all strive for peace pic.twitter.com/U000aiYQ4i
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) December 13, 2019
“Today is the 18th anniversary of the attack on Indian Parliament. Solemnly remembering those who lost their lives on that day. My sympathies with those who were injured in the line of duty. Terrorism and violence have no place in a civilised society,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted.