New Delhi, Jul 30 (KNO): Asserting that Jammu and Kashmir is set to reclaim lasting peace under the PM Modi-led government, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said that all terror outfits operating in Jammu and Kashmir will be crushed.
The Union Home Minister, according to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) informed the Rajya Sabha that security forces ensured the terrorists behind the Pahalgam attack were eliminated before they could flee to Pakistan. “The coordinated operations led to their precise identification and swift neutralisation,” he added.
Shah said that the responsibility for April 22 Pahalgam terror attack which left 26 civilians, mostly tourists dead, was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), and those responsible were tracked and neutralised in two separate operations – “Operation Sindoor” and “Operation Mahadev.”
Shah said a forensic analysis confirmed that the weapons used in the attack matched those recovered from the slain terrorists. “There is no debate or doubt now. The rifles recovered were the same,” he told the House.
The Union Home Minister said intelligence agencies and local police questioned 155 people, and those who sheltered the attackers were also identified and are being investigated.
Shah thanked the Prime Minister and the armed forces for their role in the counter-terror-operations.
He said, “I visited Jammu and Kashmir myself. We took a pledge to capture the terrorists and prevent them from escaping to Pakistan. We succeeded on both fronts.”
Providing a timeline of the counter-offensive, the Home Minister said, “Operation Mahadev was launched on April 22, the day of the Pahalgam attack. The presence of the terrorists was detected by May 22. After confirming their exact location, a joint strategy was drawn up by the Jammu and Kashmir Police, 4 Para, and the CRPF. A detailed meeting was held by senior officials. The operation was then executed at the pinpointed location.”
Shah told the House that the families of Pahalgam terror attack victims had personally requested justice. “They wanted a decisive response and we delivered it,” he said.
The Union Home Minister said that the attackers were killed with precision. “We shot them in their heads,” he said, responding to questions on whether there had been any leniency.
On the timing of the final operation, Shah responded to criticism over it coinciding with the Parliament session. “Someone asked why these terrorists were killed on the first day of Parliament session. I would have ordered it the very next minute after the attack if that were possible. But it’s not easy,” he said.
Referring to the twin operations, the Union Home Minister said, “Operation Sindoor and Operation Mahadev represent India’s strongest response to terrorism. Together, they form the sternest response seen anywhere.”
Shah also invoked history, calling “Har Har Mahadev” a call to action used by Shivaji Maharaj and his soldiers. He said the phrase symbolises India’s strength and determination.
He questioned the Opposition’s protests during his speech, asking whether they were trying to defend groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba. “Who were you trying to save?” he asked. “Chidambaram’s remarks exposed Congress before the world,” he added.
Amit Shah said, “I want to tell the Congress party that it was during your tenure that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) was lost, but it is the BJP that will bring it back. We carried out targeted strikes on terrorist hideouts, their bases, organisations, training camps, and launching pads. Our operation was aimed at terrorism, but Pakistan perceived it as an attack on its country.”
