Revanth Reddy Asks PM Modi to Recall Indira Gandhi’s Legacy and Merge PoK with India
Hyderabad: On Friday, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy led a candlelight march to protest the Pahalgam terror attack, which resulted in 26 deaths. He called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take strong action against Pakistan and merge Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK) with India.
Joined by All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) President Asaduddin Owaisi and other Congress leaders, in a demonstration of opposition unity, Mr. Reddy expressed his condolences to the victims of the attack. He emphasized that the Centre must take decisive action to prevent such incidents in the future.
Former Union Minister Salman Khurshid, along with other Telangana ministers and international delegates attending the two-day ‘Bharat Summit’ in the state, also took part in the march.
The Chief Minister recalled how former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had compared then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to Goddess Durga over India’s retaliation in the 1967 India-China war and the creation of Bangladesh in 1971.
“It was the brave Indira Gandhi who separated Bangladesh from Pakistan… You (PM Modi) remember ‘Durga Mata’. Take action, whether it’s attacking Pakistan or any other measure,” Reddy said.
“Today, steps should be taken against Pakistan. This is not the time for compromise. A befitting reply should be given. Move ahead, and we will stand with you. The 140 crore Indians are with you,” he added.
Make Pakistan into two parts, Mr Reddy said. “Merge PoK with India. We will stand with you. You are a devotee of Durga Mata. Remember Indira ji,” he added.
He emphasized that this is not a time for politics, but a moment for unity. He further stated that his government stands ready to support the Prime Minister.
Twenty-six tourists—25 from India and one from Nepal—lost their lives in a brutal attack at Baisaran, a scenic meadow known as ‘mini Switzerland,’ located in Pahalgam, Anantnag district of Jammu & Kashmir. The incident, which occurred on Tuesday, marked the deadliest terrorist strike in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama attack. The Resistance Front, a proxy of the banned Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), claimed responsibility.
In the aftermath, India downgraded its diplomatic relations with Pakistan and introduced several measures, including suspending the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty and halting visa services for Pakistani citizens.
In response, Pakistan retaliated by imposing its own measures—among them, the closure of its airspace to Indian airlines. Islamabad further warned that any diversion of water allocated to it under the treaty would be treated as an “Act of War.”
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s comments came just hours after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, during a visit to the injured at a hospital in Srinagar, urged national unity to confront and defeat terrorism. Gandhi condemned the attack as a deliberate attempt to “divide society.”
The former Congress President also said the entire Opposition condemned the actions of the terrorists during the all-party meeting on Thursday, and expressed full support for whatever action the government takes.
“It’s been a terrible tragedy. I came here to get a sense of what’s going on and to help. The entire people of Jammu & Kashmir have condemned this terrible act and are fully supportive of the nation at this time. I met one of the people who was injured,” Mr Gandhi told reporters.
Meanwhile, Mr Owaisi, in a post on X, said: “We are all united against terrorism. Along with @revanth_anumula & thousands of Indian citizens, I participated in a candlelight march against the cowardly Pahalgam terror attack.”
Before Friday prayers, he handed out black armbands at a mosque, encouraging worshippers to wear them as a symbol of protest against the Pahalgam terror attack.
According to party sources, the Hyderabad MP himself wore a black armband and distributed them at a mosque in Shastripuram, Hyderabad.
Following the prayers, a protest was held at the historic Charminar, denouncing the attack.
In Begum Bazar, shopkeepers closed their businesses and joined a peaceful rally, while a separate demonstration also took place in Malkajgiri.
