Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Apr 23: Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Wednesday strongly condemned the terror attack in Kashmir’s Pahalgam, calling it "a huge shock to the entire world" and demanding that the perpetrators and their supporting organizations be ‘crushed without mercy.’

“This is a heinous act of terrorism. The Central government must act with alertness and responsibility. We must treat this incident with utmost seriousness,” Shivakumar said at a press briefing at the Congress party office.

He informed that a team led by minister Santosh Lad had been sent to J&K immediately on behalf of the state government following the attack.

Shivakumar, who also heads the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, condemned the religiously-motivated nature of the killings, saying, “This is the first time I have seen such an attack purely based on religion. It is shocking and unbearable. The Congress party stands with the Centre on this matter.”

Calling for stern action against terrorist outfits “regardless of which country they belong to,” he said the restoration of peace in Kashmir must be a national priority.

The Deputy CM offered condolences to the family of Manjunath from Shivamogga, who was among the 26 victims. He spoke personally with Manjunath’s brother-in-law, Dr Ravikiran, and assured full government support, saying: “Consider me a member of your family. Do not lose courage.”

He also contacted the Shivamogga district minister and local police, instructing them to meet the bereaved family.

Calling for national unity in response to the incident, Shivakumar urged the Central government to convene an all-party meeting, noting that the attack would impact foreign relations, tourism, and the nation’s internal security.

When asked about possible intelligence lapses, Shivakumar said: “I will not politicise this. The priority is national security and standing together as one nation.”