On the ninth anniversary of the terror strike on Parliament, both Houses on Monday paid homage to the martyrs of the attack and pledged to resolutely combat the global malaise of terrorism.
Making an obituary reference in the Lok Sabha, Speaker Meira Kumar said: “Nine years ago, in a brazen attack, terrorists sought to unsuccessfully hit at the very edifice of our democratic polity, the Parliament of India.”
The dastardly attack was thwarted by the valiant and the ever vigilant security forces guarding the Parliament complex.
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“Lamentably though, in the process, five security personnel of the Delhi Police, a woman constable of the CRPF and two security assistants of Parliament security achieved martyrdom,” she said.
The House “calls for concerted and renewed efforts to cope with the global malaise of terrorism. Let us on this day also resolve to resolutely combat the macabre designs of the perpetrators of terrorism,” she said.
In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Hamid Ansari paid tributes to those who made supreme sacrifices fighting the terrorists.
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“The House recalls heroic deeds and supreme sacrifices by our security personnel who laid down their lives…while preventing entry of terrorists in Parliament. The House pays homage and condemns the incident in unequivocal terms,” he said, adding that the country had to take a firm resolve to fight terrorism.
Members observed silence in both Houses as a mark of respect to those killed in the attack. Before the two Houses met for the day, Mr. Ansari and members, cutting across party lines, paid floral tributes to those killed.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Mr. Ansari, Ms. Kumar, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, BJP leader L.K. Advani, several Union Ministers and other dignitaries offered floral tributes at the photographs in the Parliament complex.
As CRPF personnel gave a salute, those present stood in silence for a minute as bugles sounded the last post.