Chhattisgarh: Mortal remains of Pahalgam terror victim reach Raipur; leaders to attend last rites

Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 24 (ANI): The mortal remains of Dinesh Miraniya reached his residence in Raipur, Chhattisgarh on Thursday, Multiple political leaders were seen arriving to pay their respects and attend the last rites of Miraniya who was among the 26 people, mostly tourists who were gunned down by terrorists in Phalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai also cut short his visit with textile and steel industry leaders in Mumbai, to attend the last rites of Dinesh Miraniya.
Visuals from the area showed the people chanting 'Dinesh amar rahe' (Immortal is Dinesh) and 'Bharat Mata ki jai' (Glory to India the motherland) while carrying Miraniya's coffin.
"I went to Mumbai for a two-day visit but returned early to attend the last rites of businessman Dinesh Miraniya, who was killed in the Pahalgam terror attack," Chief Minister Sai said during a press conference after landing in Raipur.

Expressing confidence that India will be "giving a befitting reply to Pakistan," the Chief Minister said, "India has always given a befitting reply to Pakistan. This time too India will teach a lesson to Pakistan."
Apart from the Chief Minister, Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker Raman Singh who also paid his respects to Miraniya said the Pahalgam attack was an "an attempt to divide the nation."
"This incident shows a distorted mentality and is an attempt to divide the nation. The way these forces are working on Pakistan's orders to breach the peace of the country, we condemn this. The whole world has shown its disapproval. The government will take all the necessary actions in the matter," the Assembly Speaker told reporters.
On Wednesday, Deputy CM Arun Sao and other ministers paid tribute to Miraniya after his mortal remains reached Raipur.
Dinesh Miraniya is one of the 26 victims in one of the deadliest attack since 2019 Pulwama strike. The attack has drawn comparisons with past high-profile attacks and has reignited public outrage across the country.
One of the relatives of Dinesh, Vinod Agarwal, called the terror attack an "attack on Hindutva."
"This attack is on Hindutva and it has not happened because of Hindutva. People have been killed after asking their names. Congress has always done politics. The country understands the character of Congress. It has always been against Hindutva... this is not a matter of politics," the relative told ANI.
At the same time in Durg, Chattisgarh, Congress leader Bhupesh Bhagel condoled the loss of the family
"How much ever condemnation of the attack which has happened is minimal. The civilians who were killed, twenty-six and more have been injured. I express my condolences to the whole family and wish the injured a speedy recovery. There is also a person from Chhattisgarh. One businessman has ended up here as well," Bhagel told ANI.
He further criticised the government for broadcasting claims of government that terrorism has finished in the region, and urging for people to travel to the valley, calling them "empty promises."
Bhagel told ANI, "The claims of the government that terrorism has finished in the region have proven to be empty now. There were no Army officers, nor were there police personnel. Hundreds of people were there but security personnel were not there, there was no security system and I don't know how many terrorists were there, but they were killing by asking questions. This means that they killed people very comfortably, so this is very painful."
In response to the attack, foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Wednesday that, in recognition of the seriousness of the terrorist attack, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) took the following measures, which included five key decisions.
"The Defence/Military, Naval and Air Advisors in the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi are declared Persona Non Grata. They have a week to leave India. India will be withdrawing its own Defence/Navy/Air Advisors from the Indian High Commission in Islamabad. These posts in the respective High Commissions are deemed annulled. Five support staff of the Service Advisors will also be withdrawn from both High Commissions," Misri said.
He also mentioned that the Integrated Check Post at Attari will be closed with immediate effect. Other measures decided upon by the CCS include the abeyance of the Indus Waters Treaty "with immediate effect, until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism".
Misri also said that Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme (SVES) visas. "Any SVES visas issued in the past to Pakistani nationals are deemed cancelled. Any Pakistani national currently in India under an SVES visa has 48 hours to leave India." The Foreign Secretary said that the overall strength of the High Commissions will be brought down to 30 from the present 55 through further reductions, to be effected by May 1, 2025.
As many as 26 people were killed in the dastardly attack by terrorists on tourists. The attack, carried out by terrorists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on Tuesday, is one of the deadliest in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. The attack was one of the biggest terror attacks in the region after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019. (ANI)