BJP, Congress take out candlelight marches

Homage to slain CRPF jawans

New Delhi: Delhi units of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress took out candlelight marches across the city on Saturday to pay homage to the 40 CRPF personnel killed in a terror attack in Jammu Kashmir's Pulwama. 

BJP leaders and workers took out the candlelight march from Udyog Bhawan to India Gate where a large gathering condoled the deaths. Congress workers also took out candlelight marches across the city. 

Slogans were raised against Pakistan, with people demanding government to give a befitting reply to perpetrators of the Pulwama attack. 

In one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's three decades of militancy, a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus in Pulwama district, killing at least 44 personnel on the spot and leaving many critically wounded. The Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad has claimed the responsibility for the attack. 

The Delhi unit of the BJP will observe 'Atankwad Virodh Divas' (Day against terrorism) in all districts of the city paying homage to the slain jawans on Sunday. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari led the candlelight march in which party MPs Meenakshi Lekhi, Maheish Girri and other party leaders were present. 

Tiwari said the Pulwama terrorist attack was an assault on the sovereignty of India and the entire country would fight against terrorism and defeat it.  "Entire country is indebted to the CRPF jawans who sacrificed their lives... 

But the souls of these jawans will rest in peace only when we take revenge and the Indian Army is quite competent to do it," Tiwari said. 

Lekhi said that Pakistan has become isolated at the international level due to its terrorist activities and by this suicide attack it has harmed itself. 

Delhi Congress chief Sheila Dikshit attended party conventions in Krishna Nagar and Patparganj which were converted into condolence meeting to pay homage to the slain CRPF personnel. 

Dikshit said the entire country, including the Congress, was with the government and security forces at this hour of crisis.