Pahalgam LIVE: Armed Forces can decide India's response: PM Modi

Shiv Sena tells Congress to fix its house before seeking Parliament session

The Shiv Sena asked the Congress on Tuesday (April 29) to set its own house in order before demanding a special session for Parliament, as the BJP ally slammed the opposition party over controversial views expressed by its several leaders following the Pahalgam terror attack.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanding a special session of Parliament to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack and demonstrate a collective resolve.

Shiv Sena's parliamentary party chairman Shrikant Shinde took a swipe at the Congress, saying it should urgently call an All India Congress Committee (AICC) session to clarify its stand on the "deeply offensive" statements made by its senior leaders, including some questioning the accounts of the victims of Pahalgam terror attack and "echoing" the narrative of Pakistan.

Shinde named a host of Congress leaders including Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, his ministerial colleague R B Timmapur, Maharashtra leader Vijay Wadettiwar, and Jammu and Kashmir leaders Saifuddin Soz and Tariq Hameed Karra for making objectionable comments.

Both Soz and Karra suggested conciliation with Pakistan, while some others questioned the accounts of survivors that there was religious profiling of victims by the terrorists.

Asserting that India deserves a strong and united political response to terror and not a fractured and appeasement-driven narrative, he said if the Congress cannot take a clear moral stand on this, it has no business demanding accountability from anyone else.

Don't politicise Pahalgam attack, play with emotions: Terror victim's wife

Pragati Jagdale, wife of Santosh Jagdale, one of the tourists killed in the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, on Tuesday (April 29) appealed to leaders not to politicise the tragedy and said the survivors had experienced the horror firsthand and heard what the assailants said.

Jagdale's appeal has come a day after Maharashtra Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar, in a controversial remark, said that terrorists have no caste or religion and questioned the veracity of the claim that terrorists asked about the faith of tourists before killing them in Pahalgam town last week.

Wadettiwar's comments stoked a row and invited strong condemnation from ruling alliance leaders, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Eye-witnesses and survivors, in their interactions with media after the deadly assault, have claimed the terrorists had marked out non-Muslims.

Talking to reporters in Pune, Jagdale said, "We are still haunted by the terror attack. Whenever I close my eyes, I see a man holding a rifle. I haven't been able to sleep properly. The shock is too deep."

"Please don't politicise the incident or play with our emotions. We were there. We know what the terrorists said. We have already shared their statements during the attack," she said.

"We experienced terrorism. We heard hateful words. I urge all politicians, on humanitarian grounds, not to play with our emotions," she added.

50 tourist spots in Kashmir shut amid security concerns

Nearly 50 public parks and tourist destinations across Jammu and Kashmir have reportedly been shut as a precautionary measure in the wake of the terror attack in Pahalgam that claimed 26 lives, mostly tourists.

The closed spots include both well-known and emerging tourist spots such as Dooshpathri, Kokernag, Duksum, Sinthan Top, Acchabal, Bangus Valley, Margan Top, and Tosamaidan.

Though not announced through a formal government order, the closures of these tourist spots have been enforced on the ground, with gates locked and access blocked to several popular destinations.

Maha Governor slams opposition leaders’ remarks on Pahalgam attack

Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan on Tuesday (April 29) slammed opposition leaders, including those from the Congress, for their controversial remarks on the Pahalgam terror attack and said some parties and their functionaries want to take political advantage of the situation.

He lashed out at Pakistan in the wake of the April 22 terror attack and maintained the neighbouring country wants to create unrest in India and hence it should to be dealt with strictly.

Several Congress leaders, including Vijay Wadettiwar from Maharashtra and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, are facing flak for their controversial statements on the terror strike.

Earlier, Wadettiwar said terrorists have no caste or religion and questioned veracity of the claim that terrorists asked about faith of tourists before killing them in Pahalgam.

Asked about controversial remarks of Congress members and other opposition outfits, the Governor rued some parties and their leaders want to take political advantage of the situation arising out of the deadly strike in Jammu and Kashmir.

Reacting to Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Sagarika Ghose's "bomb justice" in Kashmir comments, Radhakrishnan termed them unfortunate.

Amid demolition of houses of alleged terrorists in the wake of the Pahalgam attack, TMC leader Ghose on Monday said after "bulldozer justice" in Uttar Pradesh, which was ruled illegal by the Supreme Court, "bomb justice" is being witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir.

Expect India to strongly oppose IMF assistance to Pak: Congress

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the IMF has just announced that its executive board is meeting to consider Pakistan's request for a new $1.3 billion loan under the IMF's Resilience and Sustainability Facility.