NEW DELHI: A day after 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed in the deadliest terror attack on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and top ministers held a security review meeting.
Modi on Friday warned that those responsible for the Pulwama terror attack would pay a "very heavy price" and had made a "big mistake". In hard-hitting comments at an official event, he said security forces had been given complete freedom to act against terror and that the nation had full faith in their courage and valour.
"The most favoured nation status to Pakistan stands revoked," Arun Jaitley said after the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) at the PM's residence.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi, mourning the Pulwama terror attack, said Friday that he and his Congress party would support the government and would "not get into any other discussion for the next couple of days".
"I will support the government and jawans in this difficult time," said Rahul Gandhi.
India has started meeting envoys of the United Nation P5 countries, China, the Gulf, Japan and European nations to brief them about Pakistan's role in sponsoring terror, sources have said. The P5 refers to the United Nations Security Council's five permanent members - United States, United Kingdom, Russia, France and China.
Countries from across the globe condemned the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district with nations like the United States, UK, Russia and France asserting that they stand with India in combating the menace of terrorism. China, however, kept its stand on Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar unchanged.
India Friday summoned Pakistan's High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood and sources say a very strong demarche or diplomatic protest was lodged. The Indian High Commissioner to Pakistan, Ajay Bisaria, has also been called to Delhi for consultations by the government. Home minister Rajnath Singh on Friday helped carry the coffin of a slain CRPF jawan after he laid a wreath on the mortal remains of the troops, who were killed in a terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.
Shortly after arriving from Delhi, the home minister attended a solemn function here where the remains of 40 CRPF personnel were kept in coffins, draped with tricolour. Singh helped carry the coffin of a slain CRPF jawan before it was flown out of Jammu and Kashmir in a special aircraft, an official present at the function said.
The home minister, governor Satya Pal Malik, home secretary Rajiv Gauba, CRPF director general R R Bhatnagar, Jammu and Kashmir DGP Dilbagh Singh besides others attended the wreath-laying ceremony.
"The nation will not forget the supreme sacrifice of our brave CRPF jawans. I have paid my last respects to the martyrs of Pulwama. The sacrifice will not go in vain," Singh said.
The Central Reserve Police Force came out with a strong reaction against the Pulwama attack on Friday.
In a tweet, the paramilitary police organisation said they "will not forget or forgive" the attack and saluted the victims of the horrific act perpetrated by Pak-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed. Saying they will stand with the families of their "killed brothers", they also said the "heinous attack will be avenged".
A curfew was imposed in parts of Jammu city on Friday after mobs attacked some people and burnt vehicles following the terror attack in Pulwama.
Late on Friday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Rajnath Singh, Nirmala Sitharaman, along with Congress president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal paid tributes to the 40 CRPF soldiers at the Palam airport in Delhi, as their bodies arrived from Pulwama in south Kashmir. The PM and other leaders laid the wreath on the coffins, wrapped in the national flag.
The bodies of the soldiers were brought to Delhi in a C-130J Super Hercules aircraft Friday.
The bodies will be sent to their respective cities Saturday.
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