Delhi mourns Pahalgam victims, political parties demand justice

A day after the horrific terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which claimed 26 lives, Delhi was gripped by sorrow, anger, and a unanimous call for justice. Political leaders across party lines mourned the victims, cancelled engagements, and called for immediate and decisive action against the perpetrators.

Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva announced the cancellation of all previously scheduled political programmes on April 23 and 24. “Every Indian is committed to avenging the killing of innocent people,” he said

Mortal remains of several victims reached Delhi Airport, where tributes were paid by the Delhi Government and BJP leaders. Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Sachdeva were present to meet grieving families.

Delhi CM Rekha Gupta said, “The Government of India stands with them in this time of crisis and will provide every possible support to help them restart their lives.”

BJP leader Tarun Chugh took a hard line, calling the incident a “pre-planned genocide” and directly accusing Pakistan. “This is Pakistan’s conspiracy. They shot people after asking their religion. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s no-tolerance policy for terrorism, no one will be spared,” he said. “This is the new India which won’t just sit and cry. The new India knows how to answer.”

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held a candlelight march at Jantar Mantar to honour the victims. Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj questioned the Centre’s approach to internal security. “Whatever has happened in Kashmir is shameful. There has never been a terrorist attack on tourists before this. The Central Government has failed badly,” he said. “Demonetisation didn’t end terrorism. Scrapping Article 370 didn’t bring peace. This is a massive intelligence failure. The Centre must be held accountable.”

Former Delhi Mayor and AAP leader Dr Shelly Oberoi echoed this sentiment. “It seems the BJP is distracted from national priorities and only focused on politics,” she said. “The Central Government must do justice to all those who lost their lives.”

Delhi Congress president Devender Yadav termed the killings “an attack on the identity of the country.” In a statement, he said, “We must give a fitting response to these dastardly attacks on innocent tourists. We will not allow the designs of outside forces to succeed. Terrorism in any form must be rooted out at any cost.”

He also urged the Centre to provide immediate financial relief and support to the victims’ families. “Both the Central and J&K governments should coordinate efforts to normalise the situation in the Valley,” he added.

At Jawaharlal Nehru University, the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) organised a candlelight march led by NSUI national president Varun Choudhary.

Delhi