20 years since 2001 Parliament Attack: A nation remembers
The nation shall forever remain grateful to those who made their supreme sacrifice, said President Ram Nath Kovind.
FollowPresident Ram Nath Kovind led the nation on Monday in paying homage to the brave security personnel who laid down their lives on this day in 2001 while defending the Indian Parliament against a terrorist attack. Taking to Twitter, the President said that the nation shall forever remain grateful to those who made their supreme sacrifice.
Paying tributes to the security personnel who were martyred in the line of duty, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that their service to the nation and supreme sacrifice continues to inspire every citizen. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home Minister Amit Shah too offered their tributes to the security personnel who perished in the 2001 Parliament attack.
The 2001 Parliament Attack
On this day on December 13, 2001, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists targetted the Parliament complex. Five heavily-armed terrorists infiltrated the Parliament in a white Ambassador sporting fake Home Ministry stickers. The Pakistan-trained terrorists got through the gate barely 40 minutes after the ongoing Parliament session was adjourned. Over a hundred Members of Parliament were present during the attack. Security forces managed to eliminate all five terrorists before they could get anywhere near the MPs. By then, the terrorists had claimed over 14 lives. These included Five security personnel of Delhi Police, a Central Reserve Police Force woman constable and two security assistants of Parliament Watch and Ward section. A photojournalist and a gardener too lost their lives.
Later, four suspects -- Mohammed Afzal Guru, Shaukat Hussain, Afsal Guru and SAR Geelani -- were arrested and charged within days of the attack. While two of the suspects were acquitted, Afzal Guru was hanged in New Delhi's Tihar Jail in February 2013. The fourth accused, Shaukat Hussain served his sentence in jail.
Must Watch Documentaries
Terror Decoded: The Pakistan-Bred Menace, Jaish-e-Mohammad
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