"India will never forget their martyrdom," PM Modi wrote.
February 14 this year marks the anniversary of the deadly 2019 Pulwama terror attack. Several politicos across party lines, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, have paid their tributes to the 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel killed in the Pulwama terror attack in February last year.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi took to Twitter to write that the slain security personnel were "exceptional individuals" who gave their lives to protect the nation. "India will never forget their martyrdom," PM Modi wrote.
"Tributes to the brave martyrs who lost their lives in the gruesome Pulwama attack last year. They were exceptional individuals who devoted their lives to serving and protecting our nation. India will never forget their martyrdom," Modi tweeted.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah wrote on Twitter, "I pay homage to the martyrs of Pulwama attack. India will forever be grateful of our bravehearts and their families who made supreme sacrifice for the sovereignty and integrity of our motherland."
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said the country was united in its fight against terrorism.
"Remembering the fallen @crpfindia personnel who were martyred during the dastardly attack in Pulwama(J&K) on this day in 2019. India will never forget their sacrifice. Entire nation stands united against terrorism and we are committed to continue our fight against this menace," he said.
Union minister Smriti Irani said she salutes the "brave sons of mother India".
"On the first anniversary of the dastardly Pulwama terror attack, I join the nation in paying homage to the sacrifice of our soldiers," said her colleague Hardeep Puri.
BJP president J P Nadda also hailed the sacrifice of the CRPF personnel.
On the other hand, CPI-M leader Mohammed Salim demanded justice and asked how 80 kg of RDX had crossed the international border.
"We don't need a memorial to remind us of our incompetence. The only thing we need to know is how 80kg of RDX got past the international borders to the 'most militarised zone on earth' & exploded in Pulwama. Justice for Pulwama Attack needs to be done," Salim said on Twitter.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal called the personnel martyrs and offered them his "heartfelt homage".
"India will always remember their martyrdom. We should all unite to completely end terrorism from its very roots," he said on Twitter.
A memorial to the fallen soldiers has been inaugurated at the Lethpora camp in Jammu & Kashmir's Srinagar on Friday.
The names of all the 40 personnel along with their pictures is a part of the memorial along with the motto of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) -- 'Seva and Nishtha' (Service and Loyalty).
On February 14, 2019, a powerful explosion rocked a convoy of vehicles carrying the security personnel, many of them returning from leave to rejoin duty in the Jammu and Kashmir, on the Jammu-Srinagar Highway at Latoomode in Pulwama district. The powerful explosion, triggered by a suicide bomber carrying explosives in a car, reduced a CRPF bus to a mangled heap of iron and 40 jawans lost their lives.
The memorial has been set up inside a CRPF camp adjacent to the place where Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist Adeel Ahmed Dar, driving an explosive-laden car, blew himself next to a convoy of security forces killing the 40 personnel.
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