Martyrs of the 2001 attack on Parliament were remembered on Friday with lawmakers led by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar paying homage to them on the 12th anniversary of the incident.
Leaders paid their respect both outside and inside Parliament.
UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, her son and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Leaders of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, and other members attended a solemn ceremony held in the premises of Parliament.
The leaders observed silence for a while as a mark of respect for the martyrs.
Commenting on the anniversary, Ms. Swaraj said this year she was “satisfied that the mastermind of the attacks has already been punished.”
BSP supremeo Mayawati said the government should ensure that all facilities are provided to the kin of martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country.
Inside the Lok Sabha, the Speaker led the House in remembering the martyrs who lost their lives while preventing the Pakistani terrorists from entering Parliament.
“In this attack, five jawans, a CRPF woman constable, two Parliament security staff members and an employee lost their lives. Today we take a pledge to firmly face all kinds of terrorism and reiterate our commitment to protect unity, integrity and sovereignty of the country,” she said.
In the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Ansari recalled the supreme sacrifice by security personnel to prevent entry of terrorists in the Parliament building and said their “sacrifice was of highest order.” The House observed silence in memory of those who laid down their lives.
