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Congress leader and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi on Friday paid tribute to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel who lost their lives in the 2019 Pulwama terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir. The attack, which occurred on February 14, 2019, remains one of the deadliest terrorist strikes in India, claiming the lives of 40 CRPF soldiers.
Taking to social media platform X, Priyanka Gandhi expressed her gratitude to the brave martyrs and their families. “Salute and heartfelt tribute to our brave soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the Pulwama terror attack. The country will always be indebted to the brave martyrs and their families. Jai Hind,” she wrote in her post.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid homage to the personnel who were killed in the attack, reiterating the nation’s respect for their sacrifice. “Homage to the courageous heroes we lost in Pulwama in 2019. The coming generations will never forget their sacrifice and their unwavering dedication to the nation,” PM Modi wrote on X.
पुलवामा आतंकी हमले में सर्वोच्च बलिदान देने वाले हमारे जांबाज सैनिकों को नमन एवं भावपूर्ण श्रद्धांजलि।
Advertisement · Scroll to continueदेश, वीर शहीदों और उनके परिवारजनों का हमेशा ऋणी रहेगा।
जय हिंद। pic.twitter.com/WIek6ZcxOB
— Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) February 14, 2025
Tributes Pour In
Union Home Minister Amit Shah joined the tributes, calling the Pulwama attack a “cowardly act of terrorism.” In his post on X, he honored the memory of the martyrs and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to eradicating terrorism. “On behalf of the grateful nation, I pay my heartfelt tribute to the soldiers who were martyred in the cowardly terrorist attack in Pulwama on this day in 2019. Terrorism is the biggest enemy of the entire human race, and the whole world has united against it. Be it a surgical strike or an airstrike, the Modi government is determined to completely destroy the terrorists by running a campaign with a ‘zero tolerance’ policy against them,” Shah stated.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also paid his respects, emphasizing that the sacrifice of the martyrs inspires India’s resolve to combat terrorism. “The sacrifice of the brave sons of Mother India inspires us to fight unitedly against terrorism,” Yogi Adityanath said in his tribute.
Remembering Pulwama Attack
On February 14, 2019, a suicide bomber targeted a CRPF convoy by ramming an IED-laden vehicle into it, leading to the tragic loss of 40 personnel. Days later, on February 26, the Indian Air Force (IAF) launched aerial strikes on terror camps operated by Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in Balakot, Pakistan. The strikes reportedly killed a significant number of terrorists and destroyed critical infrastructure. The following day, Pakistan attempted an offensive against Indian military installations in Jammu and Kashmir, but their efforts were thwarted by the vigilant IAF.
During the dogfight that ensued, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, piloting a MiG-21 Bison, crossed into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) while chasing enemy jets. His aircraft was shot down, and he was taken into custody by Pakistan before being released later.
