Union Minister JP Nadda on Saturday offered prayers at Pune's Shrimant Dagdusheth Halwai Ganpati Temple and said that India will give a "befitting" reply to those responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack.
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"I came here to seek the blessings of Ganpati Bappa. The way a cowardly attack took place in Jammu & Kashmir, the entire country is angry, and they are hoping that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give a strong reply to this attack," said Nadda.
"I am sure that with the blessings of Ganeshji—his wisdom and power—the country will pass through this difficult time, and under PM Modi's leadership, a befitting reply will be given to those responsible," he added.
Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol and several BJP MLAs were present with him at the temple in Pune.
At least 26 people were killed when terrorists opened fire on people, mostly tourists, in the popular Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam, in one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in Kashmir in recent years.
Six of the slain tourists hailed from Maharashtra, and among them, two—Santosh Jagdale and Kaustubh Ganbote—were from Pune. Both were close friends, and their families had travelled together to Kashmir for a holiday.
Their bodies arrived in Pune in the early hours of Thursday, and their last rites were performed with thousands of Punekars in attendance.
Meanwhile, the Pune district administration has identified 111 Pakistani nationals living in the district and directed them to leave India by April 27.
The action followed the suspension of all types of visas issued to Pakistani citizens in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack.
However, medical visas will remain valid for an additional two days.
District Collector Jitendra Dudi told reporters that data on Pakistani nationals is being collected from visa-issuing authorities and the passport office.
"So far, we have received information about 111 Pakistani nationals. All of them have been informed that it is mandatory for them to leave the country within the stipulated deadline," he said.
The visas were issued for various reasons, including tourism and medical treatment, the collector said, adding, "Those here for medical reasons have been given a concession to leave by April 29."
(With inputs from agencies)
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