Strongly condemning the barbaric Pahalgam terror attack, Punjab Good Governance and Information Technology Minister and Aam Aadmi Party's State President Mr. Aman Arora on Thursday paid tributes to those killed in the attack besides expressing deep grief and solidarity with the bereaved families for enormous and irreparable loss caused to them.
He urged the Union Government to strike tough against terror activities to eliminate the perpetrators of Pahalgam at their homes. Terming the attack a Pakistan sponsored, Mr. Aman Arora said that it is high time to destroy the nefarious designs of the hostile neighbour and the attackers must be eliminated.
Paying obeisance at Bade Hanuman Ji Mandir and Kesho Mandir in remembrance of 26 people killed in the attack, the Cabinet Minister, accompanied by Member Parliament Dr. Raj Kumar Chabbewal, Deputy Speaker Jai Krishan Singh Rouri, MLAs Jasbir Singh Raja Gill and Karambir Singh Ghuman, said that entire nation is stunned and pained over this dastardly incident.
He said the countrymen are standing rock solid with the aggrieved families in this hour of grief and severe crisis, and praying god to give strength to them to bear this huge loss, besides, seeking justice for them. "We pay tributes to the civilians killed in a one of the heinous and deadliest terror attacks and prayed for peace to the departed souls" he added.
The Minister mentioned that it is high time to teach a lesson to those behind this inhumane and cowardly act of killing innocent civilians thus a befitting reply is need of the hour against this dastardly act of terrorists. Mr Aman Arora said it is the worst ever terror attack, which has been strongly condemned across the globe.
The nation is in the mourning as all of us lost 26 civilians visiting the valley for tourism, he added. Referring to a media query, Mr. Aman Arora pointed out concern over the lack of intelligence input and non-deployment of sufficient number of armed forces in the highly vulnerable places of the valley.
As many as 1,80,000 posts are lying vacant in the army, said Mr Aman Arora emphasised that these vacancies must be filled to safeguard the countrymen from internal and external aggressions and terror activities. He said someone must own the responsibility of security lapses as no one could shy away by merely giving statements.
It was also shocking that the family members of those killed raised questions for not responding even after one and half hour by the security forces while there should have been adequate number of forces deployed in wake of any exigency at such a major tourist spot of the country, said Mr Aman Arora, adding that the country needs a full time Home Minister as the incumbent one was busy in forming and toppling Governments in the country. Mr Arora said that it is the responsibility of the Home Minister to ensure safety and security of 140 crore population so the country requires 24X7 Home Minister for this purpose.
Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Mayor Surinder Kumar, Senior Deputy Mayor Praveen Saini, Deputy Mayor Ranjeet Chaudhary, Vice Chairman H.S. Bakshi, District Planning Committee Chairperson Karmjit Kaur, Improvement Trust Chairman Gurvinder Singh Pabla and others.