Give martyr status to Pahalgam terror attack victims: Rahul Gandhi to PM Modi
New Delhi, May 1 (PTI): Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to accord the status of a martyr to those killed in the Pahalgam terror attack.
In a post on X, the Congress leader said he stands with the families of those killed in the Pahalgam attack and backs their demand that the victims be given the status of a martyr.
"I stand with the families of those killed in the Pahalgam attack in their grief and in their demand for martyr status to them.
"The prime minister is requested to respect the sentiments of the families of those who lost their lives in this tragedy by giving this honour to them," Gandhi said in his post on the microblogging platform in Hindi.
The Congress MP from Rae Bareli met the family members of a Pahalgam attack victim in Kanpur on Wednesday and said they want martyr status for the deceased.
"I met a victim's family in Kanpur. They asked me to send a message to Narendra Modi. On behalf of all those families, I want to tell the prime minister -- 'prime minister, they have said that our children have been martyred. We want you to give them the status of a martyr and give them respect'," the Congress leader told reporters on Wednesday.
Gandhi visited the family members of Shubham Dwivedi in Kanpur and said the opposition is demanding a special session of Parliament to ensure that the Pahalgam attack victims get justice.
Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were killed and several injured when terrorists opened fire at a meadow near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on April 22.
पहलगाम हमले में मारे गए लोगों के परिवारों के दुख में, शहीद के दर्जे की उनकी मांग में, मैं साथ खड़ा हूं।
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 1, 2025
प्रधानमंत्री से आग्रह है कि वो इस त्रासदी में जान गंवाने वालों को यह सम्मान देकर उनके परिवारों की भावना का आदर करें। pic.twitter.com/auMEehEnOO
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Punjab CM Mann meets President Murmu, seeks cancellation of membership of 6 RS members
Chandigarh (PTI): Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday met President Droupadi Murmu, demanding the termination of the membership of six Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab who defected to the BJP and also pressed for the introduction of a constitutional provision allowing for the recall of members.
Accompanied by party MLAs and ministers, Mann visited Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
This meeting followed a significant setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on April 24, when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs -- Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- quit and merged with the BJP, alleging that the party had strayed from its principles, values and core morals. Six of the seven MPs who left AAP hailed from Punjab.
After he met with the President, Mann addressed the media here, describing the departure of the seven MPs as a "murder" of the Constitution. He stated, "Seven MPs merging with another party is completely unconstitutional. I spoke to Rashtrapati ji in detail."
Mann pointed out that he told the President that the BJP holds only two MLA seats (in Punjab), yet now has six MPs in the Rajya Sabha. He questioned, "How can this be possible? Isn't it a mockery of the Constitution?
"If they are such revolutionaries at heart, then they should have resigned from their six seats. The AAP could have sent someone else," Mann said, taking a swipe at them.
He emphasised the need for a recall provision in the Constitution, referencing MP Raghav Chadha's previous demands for such a measure when members fail to meet public expectations.
"Have you lived up to the expectations of the people?" Mann challenged the MPs during his statement.
Mann also presented a letter to the President, signed by all AAP MLAs. He differentiated between the terms 'elected' and 'selected,' stating, "They were 'selected.' Therefore, their membership should be cancelled."
The President assured Mann that she would consult constitutional experts before responding.
Earlier in the day, Mann, along with party MLAs, departed for Delhi from Chandigarh.
Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, Mann affirmed that all AAP MLAs stand united with the party. "Only I have been given time for the meeting," Mann said.
"The President is the guardian of the Constitution. She is the constitutional head of the country," he added.
Later in a post on X in Hindi, Mann said, "Our struggle to protect Punjab's rights and interests continues. Today, along with all AAP MLAs, I have left to discuss Punjab's burning issues and present the state's strong voice before the President.
As your public servant, our government remains fully committed to Punjab's prosperity and the safeguarding of the rights of every section of society."
The MLAs and ministers gathered at the chief minister's residence in the morning before heading to Delhi, carrying placards that read 'Punjab Mann De Naal' and 'Punjab's Traitors.'
The legislators left for Delhi in buses.
Mann had previously sought an appointment with the President to meet with party MLAs and demand the "recall" of the Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the BJP. However, only Mann was given a time slot for the meeting.
