Terrorism breathing its last; nation must believe in PM Modi's leadership: Yogi Adityanath

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday said the Pahalgam terror attack was a "grotesque" act, and asserted that terrorists and those who patronised them would now have to face the repercussions of the zero-tolerance approach of the central government.

He also said that "terrorism is breathing its last" and that the nation must believe in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.

Speaking to journalists after meeting the kin of of 31-year-old Shubham Dwivedi, a Kanpur resident killed in the Pahalgam terror attack, he said targeting of innocent individuals based on their religious identity, especially in front of their families, is intolerable.

"To ask people their religion before killing them, turning women widows is unacceptable in India," he said.

Highlighting the Centre's response to the attack, including the decisions taken at the CCS meeting under PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Kashmir, he said, "The decisions taken at CCS meet would prove to be the last nail in the coffin for terrorism".

"In this hour of grief, the country must believe in PM Modi’s leadership," Adityanath reiterated.

The chief minister pledged a "zero tolerance" approach to terrorism.

"This is not a government which withdraws cases against terrorists or sees its vote bank in such situations. We are committed to crush the deadly, poisonous fangs of terrorists. Terrorists and those who patronised them would now have to face the repercussions of the zero tolerance approach and now all will watch what follows next," he said.

The chief minister asserted that the "double engine" government would deliver a "befitting response" to the terrorists.

Adityanath also noted that Shubham had been married only two months and prayed for the peace of the departed soul.

Terrorists opened fire in a meadow near the tourist hub of Pahalgam in south Kashmir on Tuesday afternoon, killing 26 people, mostly tourists. It is the worst attack in Kashmir since the Pulwama strike in 2019 when 40 CRPF personnel were killed.