National Desk
24 April
Sandeep Dhand
Journalist and Research Analysist
After the deadly terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, that killed 26 tourists, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has assured the nation of a strong response. He called the attack “inhuman” and said that India will not tolerate any act of terrorism.
Rajnath Singh held a high-level meeting with the chiefs of all three armed forces and senior security officials. During this meeting, he reviewed the situation in Jammu and Kashmir and instructed the forces to remain fully prepared. He promised that India will find not only the attackers but also those behind the scenes who plotted the attack from across the border.
“I want to assure the citizens of India that we will take every necessary and appropriate step. The terrorists and their masterminds will be punished,” said the Defence Minister while addressing a public event.
Sources say the meeting lasted for nearly two and a half hours. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi, Air Force Chief Marshal A.K. Singh, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, and Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai were present. Various possible responses and developments after the attack were discussed in detail.
In addition, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called for an all-party meeting on April 24 in Srinagar at the Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) at 3 PM. He wants to build political unity in dealing with the situation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also chaired a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting, which lasted over two hours. He posted on X about the meeting and stressed the importance of national security in the wake of the attack.
India stands united in its fight against terrorism.