On the 22nd Anniversary of the devastating terror attack on the Indian Parliament, PM Narendra Modi paid tributes to the “brave security personnel martyred in the Parliament attack”.
“Their courage and sacrifice in the face of danger will forever be etched in our nation's memory,” he said on X.
Modi was joined by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Home Minister Amit Shah and other dignitaries at a ceremony in the Parliament House where they paid tributes to them.
What was the 2001 Parliament Attack?
On December 13, 2001, India faced a devastating terrorist attack on its Parliament complex, orchestrated by militants from the Pakistan-based groups Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Nine people were killed in the attack and 18 others injured.
Five terrorists armed with AK-47 rifles, grenade launchers, and handguns infiltrated the Parliament premises around 11:40 am. They approached gate no 12 in a white Ambassador car with fake home ministry stickers on it. The suspicious vehicle was noticed by a vigilant Parliament House Watch and Ward staff member, who forced the car to turn back around.
The terrorists instead caused an accident and collided with a vehicle belonging to then Vice-President Krishan Kant and then stepped out of the vehicle and opened fire. They started firing indiscriminately at the security forces.
The first victim was CRPF constable Kumari, was followed by eight others, including Delhi Police personnel, a CRPF trooper, Parliament staff, and a gardener.
The massacre went on for about 30 minutes, resulting in the loss of nine lives and injuring 18 others. All five terrorists were neutralized outside the building. The Special Cell of the Delhi Police, established in 1986 to handle terrorism, organized crime, and serious offenses in the national capital, assumed control of the investigation.
Within days of the attack, four people were arrested and charged as masterminds behind the attack, namely Mohammed Afzal Guru, Shaukat Hussain, Afsan Guru and SAR Geelani. The case went on for a decade and eventually two were acquitted, one served an imprisonment sentence while Afzal Guru received a death sentence.
