Pahalgam LIVE: Massive anti-terror crackdown in Srinagar, Doda, Kishtwar

BSF jawan detained by Pak: Pregnant wife, son arrive at Chandigarh airport

The wife of BSF jawan Purnam Sahu, who was detained by Pakistan Rangers after inadvertently crossing the international border, on Monday arrived at the Chandigarh airport from West Bengal's Hooghly.

Sahu's wife Rajani, who is pregnant, and their son arrived at the airport along with some relatives.

Rajani would be travelling to Punjab's Ferozepur to gather information from senior BSF officials about efforts to bring back her husband.

The jawan, Constable Sahu, was apprehended by the Pakistan Rangers from a farming field along the Ferozepur district of Punjab on April 23.

According to BSF officials, the incident occurred when Sahu, who was escorting a group of farmers near the border, stepped away to rest under a tree and unknowingly slipped into Pakistani territory.

He was posted with the 182nd battalion of the Border Security Force at the Ferozepur border.

The Indian and Pakistani border forces held a flag meeting to negotiate Sahu's release, officials said, but the family has not received any further updates.

The incident came at a time when relations between the two countries have hit a low in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack which claimed 26 lives. PTI

Opposition MPs demand special session of Parliament

More Opposition MPs on Monday joined the call for convening a special session of Parliament in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while Communist Party of India (CPI) MP P Sandosh Kumar sent a letter to Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, urging them to convene a special session of Parliament to express the will of the nation and send a message of unity.

Independent Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal had on Sunday requested political parties to urge the government to convene a special session of Parliament as early as possible in May. The former Union minister has called for passing a resolution condemning the Pahalgam terror attack to convey the message to the world that the country is united.

Jha, in his letter addressed to the prime minister, said the Parliament of India stands as the cornerstone of the republic and the highest forum for democratic expression.

"At this time of grief and testing, the Parliament must come together to pay heartfelt homage to the victims of the Pahalgam attack, honour their memory, and reaffirm our shared commitment to the ideals of unity, justice and peace," Jha said.

He said it is essential that the government takes the nation and its elected representatives into full confidence, adding that a shared national response, built through consultation and consensus, is the surest path to preserving unity and safeguarding our nation.

"It is in this spirit that I respectfully urge you to convene a Special Session of Parliament, dedicated exclusively to an open and principled discussion on the Pahalgam attack and its broader implications for the security, well-being and aspirations of the people of India," Jha said.

Kumar, a CPI MP from Rajya Sabha, in his letter addressed to Rijiju, said the special session would allow members across party lines to come together to mourn the loss and express the will of the nation. PTI

PM Modi has resolved action will be taken against culprits: UP BJP chief

UP BJP chief Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary on Monday termed the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam as a "very sad incident for the civilised society".

Speaking to reporters in Hapur, Chaudhary said, "The Pahalgam incident is very sad for the civilised society. Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi has resolved that action will be taken against the culprits, so that a strong message is sent on such incidents and people take cognisance of it in the future." "Identifying people by asking their religion and then attacking them is highly condemnable. The government is vigilant in this direction and the necessary steps are being taken to prevent recurrence of such acts," he said. PTI

Brahmin bodies cancel Lord Parshuram birth anniversary celebrations

Various Brahmin organisations in Thane have announced the cancellation of Lord Parshuram's birth anniversary celebrations scheduled for April 30 to express solidarity with the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack.

For several years, these organisations have been at the forefront of celebrating the birth anniversary of Lord Parshuram with grand events and public festivities.

The decision to cancel festivities was announced jointly by the community leaders.

"Instead of public festivities, we will offer flowers and perform traditional worship (puja) to Lord Parshuram privately on his Jayanti," a statement read. PTI 

Terror attack affects business of travel agents in Himachal

The terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam town of Jammu and Kashmir has affected the business of travel agents in Himachal Pradesh, as 80-90 per cent of bookings for the Union Territory have been cancelled in the past few days.

"The attack in Pahalgam has impacted the business in Himachal too, and 80-90 per cent of bookings for Kashmir stand cancelled," said Rishab Thakur, who works in Antelope Tours and Travels in Shimla.

"Kashmir saw a boom in tourism in the past two years, but after the terror attack, the business for Kashmir has come to a standstill. Till recently, we were giving four to five packages (to tourists) for Kashmir daily, but now, most packages booked for Kashmir and Amarnath Yatra have been cancelled", he told PTI on Monday.

"We are trying to convince them to postpone and reschedule their trip, but the tourists are scared and saying that there are security issues and they cannot risk the lives of their family members," Thakur added.

The Pahalgam attack has also cast a shadow on Amarnath Yatra.

Groups for the yatra from Gujarat and Maharashtra have been cancelled following the terror attack, said Akhil Chauhan, who runs a travel agency in Shimla.

Terrorists struck a prime tourist location in Pahalgam in south Kashmir last Tuesday, killing at least 26 people, mostly tourists, and injuring several others, following which security has been beefed up across the valley, especially at vital tourist spots.

However, the tourist inflow in Himachal has picked up, according to people associated with the tourism business. "We are hoping for a good season. At present, the room occupancy during weekends is near 80-85 per cent, which is expected to go up further in the coming days when heatwaves are witnessed in plains," MK Seth, president, Shimla Hotel and Tourism Stakeholders' Association, told PTI on Monday. PTI 

Punish those involved in terror attack: Tikait

#WATCH | Delhi: On the #PahalgamTerrorAttack, author and Advaita teacher Acharya Prashant says, "The attack is not just on Hindus but on the nation...They want the nation to be divided from within...For the last 50 years, the attacks have aimed to ensure that the two-nation… pic.twitter.com/I1lWyUAOyF

— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2025

Muslims of Himachal town hold anti-Pakistan protest

Muslim residents of Sujanpur Tira area of Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur district on Monday held a protest against Pakistan, blaming it for the recent Pahalgam attack.

Carrying placards and raising slogans denouncing the incident, the protesters submitted a memorandum to the authorities, demanding strong action against those who committed the heinous crime.

Terrorists had struck at a prime tourist location in Pahalgam in south Kashmir on April 22, killing at least 26 people, mostly tourists, and injuring several others.

One of the protesters said India is a peace-loving country where people from different backgrounds live together in harmony.

Incidentally, Sujanpur Tira town was on edge in February over a proposed statue of Maharana Pratap in front of a mosque.

A delegation of the Muslim community had submitted a memorandum to the Hamirpur administration, asking it to not install the statue. The objection was withdrawn a couple of days later. PTI 

VIDEO | Appealing people not to cancel their tours to Kashmir after Pahalgam terrorist attack, actor Atul Kulkarni (@atul_kulkarni) says, "When such big things happen, so many innocent people are killed, of course, every citizen of the country is sad, there are a lot of emotions… pic.twitter.com/iSK9obTbvg

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) April 28, 2025

#WATCH | Patna, Bihar | RJD MP Manoj Jha says, "Speaking in one voice on the issue of national security is the need of the hour. When there was a war with China in 1972, even then, a session of Parliament was called. The ruling party and the opposition should speak in one voice… https://t.co/Kd5sGlo5yP pic.twitter.com/8uihR4pk5q

— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2025