New Delhi:
Union Commerce Minister and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday assured a smooth Amarnath Yatra, which began despite the Pahgam terror attack despite starting on 3 July this year.
Despite the attack, Mr. Goyal expressed confidence that tourism in Kashmir would soon resume, emphasizing that no one can remove Kashmir from his developmental path, highlights the progress and capacity of the region.
“The people of India are competent and convinced that tourism will start soon, the Amarnath Yatra will be successfully operated, and no one can remove Kashmir from the path of development he has taken,” Mr. Goyal said.
Registration for this year’s Shri Amarnath Yatra started on 15 April in Jammu and Kashmir. They took place across the country in 533 branches of Punjab National Bank, State Bank of India, J&K Bank and Yes Bank.
The Amarnath Yatra is ready to start on July 3 this year, as well as both routes-Pahgam track in Anantnag district and Baltal in Genderbal district. It will end on 9 August on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan.
Mr. Goyal reiterated that the government has already announced the cancellation of visas for Pakistani citizens, and they should leave India.
“We have already announced this (visa cancellation for Pakistani citizens) and they should all go …” he said.
Mr. Goyal strongly condemned the Pahalgam terror attack, emphasizing that India would not tolerate terrorism. Mr. Goyal said that India is not interested in having business relations with Pakistan, called it a “terrorist nation”.
The Union Minister said, “India is not interested in having business relations with a terrorist nation like Pakistan … There will be no place in India where we will allow terrorism to grow …” said the Union Minister.
Referring to Pakistan’s continuous challenge, Mr. Goyal made it clear that India had already left the ties seriously.
“Pakistan’s loss is not interested in India. What is the use of trade with a terrorist country like Pakistan?” He said. He further assured that India’s decisions, especially about the cancellation of visa, would be communicated soon, underlining that these steps are part of a comprehensive strategy to deal with terrorism.
He said, “As long as 140 crore Indians consider patriotism and nationalism as their highest duty, such incidents will continue to bother the nation.”
Meanwhile, on Friday, expressing condolences to the victims of the Pahalgam terror attack, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said that the central government along with its supporters would identify, trace and punish the terrorists.
Recalling former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s remarks, Goyal said, “I remember Atal Bihari Vajpayee said, there is a threat to across the border and state-provided terrorism civilized society. This is the moment when the whole country comes together and expresses the country’s anger and collective commitment to give a responsible response.”
Reminding the people of the resolution taken by Prime Minister Narendra on terrorist attacks, Mr. Goel said, “We will identify, trace and punish the terrorists and their supporters. It is every Indian’s resolve … We have faced 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and came back. We responded to the Pulwama attacks.”
The Union Minister also expressed condolences to all the victims of the initiative terrorist attack.
“There is resentment across the country from Kargil to Kanyakumari against the attack on many clothes in India. We are all united in sorrow, pray for the departed and wish for quick recovery of those injured. We pray that there is strength on those families who are influenced by this heinous and criminal act of terrorists,” said Sri Goyal said.
The attack in Pahalgam took place in Basaron Meadow on Tuesday, where terrorists targeted tourists, 25 Indian citizens and a Nepali citizen were killed, and many others were injured. This was one of the most deadly attacks in the region since the 2019 Pulwama strike, which claimed the life of 40 CRPF Jawans.
After the attack, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi arrived in Srinagar on Friday and assessed the situation in the valley.
On Thursday, the central government called an all-party meeting to consult the security situation and prepare a collective response to the attack. After attending the all-party meeting, Rahul Gandhi said, “Everyone condemned the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The opposition has fully supported the government in taking any action.”
In the security meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the Cabinet Committee, in the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah, India decided to handle the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty in 1960 until Pakistan reliably and irresponsibly ended its support for terrorism crossing the border and closed the Unified Atari check post.
India has also declared officers of the personality of the Pakistani High Commission as non -adults and ordered them to leave India within a week.
The country further decided to cancel any visa provided under the SARC Visa Rebate Scheme (SSES) and ordered Pakistan to leave the country within 48 hours.
(Except for the headline, the story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is published by a syndicated feed.)
