SP's Abu Azmi backs PM Modi's call for retaliation after Pahalgam terror attack

New Delhi, April 25 (IANS) Samajwadi Party's Maharashtra unit chief Abu Azmi on Friday strongly backed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stern warning against the perpetrators of the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam and asked all parties to stand together with the government.

Reacting to PM Modi’s comment that every terrorist and their handlers behind the Kashmir attack will be hunted down and punished, Azmi said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said the right thing. We fully support his statement. Every Indian wants these terrorists and their masterminds to be eliminated. They should either be hanged or shot, because they are enemies of India’s peace and development. Strictest action should be taken against such elements.”

Addressing a massive public gathering in Bihar's Madhubani on Thursday, PM Modi remarked, "I say to the whole world [that] India will identify, track and punish every terrorist and their backers."

"We will pursue them to the ends of the Earth. India's spirit will never be broken by terrorism," he said, adding that the entire country is "firm in this resolve".

Abu Azmi also praised the local Muslim community in Kashmir for protecting Hindu tourists during the attack.

“I want to congratulate the Muslims of Kashmir who helped protect their Hindu brothers. This is the real Islam. Those who commit acts of terrorism in the name of Islam are not real Muslims; they are a disgrace to the religion,” he added.

On RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat's remark that the attack was a fight between dharma and adharma, and that a Hindu would never kill anyone based on religion, Azmi disagreed.

“If Hindus can’t do that, then who shot and killed people in a moving train just because they were Muslims? The killer was a Hindu policeman, and he shot them after asking their religion. In today’s India, Muslims are being beaten for wearing a cap or a kurta, and told to chant ‘Jai Shri Ram’ or to prove their loyalty. This is unacceptable,” Azmi asserted.

On the RSS chief’s call for Hindu unity, Azmi emphasised inclusivity. “We all, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, need to stand together. Only when we are united can India move forward. If you talk about Hindu unity while excluding Muslims, that’s not acceptable. True strength lies in collective unity,” he said.

Commenting on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Kashmir, Azmi welcomed it. “He should go, talk to the people and understand the ground reality. This should not be labelled as a political stunt,” he said.

When asked about the absence of Uddhav Thackeray’s MPs from the all-party meeting called by the government post-attack, Azmi responded, “Why they didn’t attend can be answered by their leaders, but such issues should not be politicised. The nation is bigger than politics, and all parties must stand united with the government at such times.”

--IANS

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