"Heartless, barbaric, beyond norms of civilised behaviour": Congress leader Karan Singh on Pahalgam terror attack

New Delhi [India], April 23 (ANI): Senior Congress leader Karan Singh on Wednesday condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack and said that the incident was "shocking and beyond all norms of civilised behaviour."
Terming the terror attack as 'heartless and barbaric,' Congress leader Karan Singh said that the 'massacre' of the civilians in Pahalgam was not an overnight attack but a meticulously planned execution.
Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "Shocking beyond belief! A massacre of tourists has never taken place before. I think it involves a new level of planning and execution from across the border. This could not have happened overnight. It must have been meticulously planned, which means these people must have been in the Valley for some days. So, obviously, it is a very shocking thing."
"Tourism is something upon which the people of Kashmir depend largely. The hoteliers, houseboatwalas, most of them Kashmiris, muslims, they will suffer the most. It is totally incomprehensible why they would do such a thing. This was beyond all norms of civilised behaviour," said the Congress leader.
The Congress leader called for a comprehensive investigation into the terror attack and said that the perpetrators need to be given an adequate response.
"The whole thing must be properly investigated. We have so many agencies there; they should find out what is happening. It is really very serious. Apart from the human factor, it is serious both politically and socially. What kind of action to be taken can be decided only by the Government of India. There has to be an adequate response to it so that it doesn't happen again," added Singh.
Meanwhile, the wreath-laying ceremony of deceased Indian Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, who lost his life in the Pahalgam terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir, was held at the Cargo Terminal on Wednesday before his mortal remains were sent to his hometown in Karnal, Haryana, for the final rites.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Delhi BJP President Virendraa Sachdeva were present at the solemn ceremony to offer their final respects.
Grieving family members, close friends, and relatives also gathered to pay heartfelt tributes to the jawan.
The widow of the deceased naval officer bid an emotional farewell during the solemn military ceremony, remembering her late husband as a man who lived with honour and left behind a legacy of courage.
In a heart-wrenching scene marked by silence and salutes, the widow of the deceased naval officer stood inconsolable at the funeral ceremony held in honour of her husband.
The ceremony was attended by fellow officers, family members, and dignitaries, all of whom paid their respects to the brave soul.
Lt Narwal, who was posted in Kochi, had travelled to Jammu and Kashmir on leave and was in Pahalgam with his wife when terrorists opened fire. The young officer, a native of Haryana, had recently tied the knot, with his wedding reception held just days earlier on April 16.
"He was married just a few days back; four days ago, it was his reception, and there was a celebration all over here. Today, we come to know that terrorists have killed him," said one of Narwal's neighbours.
Earlier in the day, the grief-stricken grandfather of Indian Navy officer Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, appealed to the government to take decisive action to eliminate terrorism.
Following the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on tourists, families, friends, and neighbours of the victims across the country mourned the loss of loved ones on Wednesday, and strongly condemned the attack.
Different state governments have released statements talking about certain people from the respective states losing their lives in the attack.
Ministers and officials from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kerala, Gujarat, Haryana, and more have talked about the deaths of residents of their respective states.
Some state officials have also reached Srinagar to facilitate the smooth travel of the families affected by the attack.
In the aftermath of the tragic terror attack that led to the death of many innocent lives on Tuesday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday reviewed the security situation at the site of the terror attack in Pahalgam's Baisaran meadow.
The Union Minister first took an aerial stock of the region as he arrived at the site by helicopter, descending onto the meadow now bearing the scars of violence, earlier in the day.
Amit Shah walked around the area amid tight security and was briefed by top officials on the current situation and ongoing operations in the area.
A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team also arrived at the attack site to join the probe and assist the Jammu and Kashmir Police on the matter, which is considered the deadliest assault on civilians in the region in almost twenty years.
The NIA team - led by a Deputy Inspector General-rank officer - visited Baisaran a day after terrorists gunned down a group of tourists in the picturesque meadow, which is located around five kilometres from Pahalgam town in Kashmir's Anantnag district.
Official sources privy to the development told ANI that "the NIA team members will be assisting the Jammu and Kashmir Police in the investigation.
The NIA team is expected to conduct a thorough assessment of the attack site, collect forensic evidence, and help in identifying those responsible for the carnage. (ANI)