Pahalgam Massacre: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju hints at 'stricter action' after all-party meeting in Delhi concludes

After an all-party meeting in New Delhi to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju emphasized national unity and reaffirmed the government's zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism. Speaking to media persons, Rijiju asserted that amid widespread political consensus, leaders across party lines echoed the call for a united front against terrorism.

"In the beginning, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke about the incident that took place in Pahalgam and shared the decisions taken by the Government in the CCS (Cabinet Committee on Security) meeting following the incident. He also spoke about the Government's stance of zero tolerance against terrorism. It was stated that the incident was very tragic, and the Indian Government has expressed its intention to take even stricter action going forward," Rijiju said.

"For the past several years, the people of Kashmir had been conducting their businesses, tourists had been visiting, and everything was progressing well. This incident has disturbed that peaceful environment, and everyone has expressed their concern over it. All political parties shared their views and there was a consensus that the country should stand united and speak with one voice against terrorism," he said.

The Union Minister highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks in Bihar earlier in the day on the Pahalgam attack.

"Today in Bihar, everyone heard the Prime Minister's message, and it was clear that the PM's intention is firm--that India has always taken strong action against terrorism and will continue to do so. Officials from the Intelligence Bureau and the Home Ministry provided a briefing about the incident and explained the management measures being taken to prevent such incidents in the future," Kiren Rijiju said.

"All political parties are standing with the Government in this fight against terrorism. In such times, the entire nation must stay united--this was the message conveyed by everyone," he said.

Union Minister and BJP National President JP Nadda, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Congress President, Congress MP and Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi were among other prominent leaders who attended today's meeting.

Terrorists attacked tourists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on Tuesday, killing 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen while leaving several others injured, in one of the deadliest attacks in the valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed.Following the attack, India has taken strong countermeasures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.

In the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, India decided to hold the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism and has closed the integrated Attari Check Post.

India has also declared the officials of the Pakistani High Commission persona non grata and ordered them to leave India within a week. The country further decided to cancel any visas provided under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) and ordered Pakistan to leave the country within 48 hours.

The Government of India has also decided to suspend visa services for Pakistani nationals, effective immediately. All existing valid visas issued by India to Pakistani nationals will stand revoked, effective from 27 April 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs stated in a press release.

Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI.