Bengaluru, Apr 24: Various Karnataka-based Muslim organisations on Thursday extended their full support to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure the perpetrators of the Pahalgam attack are taught a lesson, and they never dare to commit such acts again.

“We stand with the country and with the Prime Minister. We support whatever action he takes. Those responsible must be punished harshly, and at the same time, there should be a thorough investigation into the security lapses,” Hazrat Moulana Mufti Iftekar Ahmed Qasmi, President of Jamiat Ulama Hind, Karnataka, told IANS.

He added that every individual in the country is valuable to their motherland.

“We don’t see religion, we see humanity. The tragic loss of so many lives has shaken the entire nation. The Pahalgam attack also raises serious questions about our security and intelligence. This is our failure. We saw it happen earlier in Pulwama. It is summer, and people from all over the country are visiting Kashmir. It’s a sensitive area, and clearly, there was a lapse in security. We share in the grief of those who lost their lives,” he said.

He added that the country has already taken some initial steps and is further hoping that even stricter action will be taken in the future.

Meanwhile, the Chief Imam of Jamia Masjid, Bengaluru, Moulana Mohammed Maqsood Imran Rashadi, said that the government should provide Rs 1 crore in compensation to the victims’ families, as well as government jobs and other support facilities.

“Perpetrators must be taught a lesson so they never raise their heads again. Pahalgam has shocked the entire nation. Terrorism has no religion, and we are here to affirm that truth. It’s not only the families of the 26 victims who are grieving - the entire nation shares their sorrow,” said Rashadi while addressing a press conference at the Bengaluru Press Club.

“I have been there myself. There are security checks and military presence, yet this massive tragedy occurred. We cannot comprehend how this was even possible. We appeal to the Union Home Minister and the Prime Minister to conduct a thorough investigation and punish those responsible so harshly that no one dares to commit such an act again,” he urged.

“How did the attackers get in and commit such a heinous act? Where did they get the courage from? We’ve heard there are over eight lakh military personnel deployed in that region. There is a military presence at every step, and even then, they came, carried out the attack, and left. This deeply pains me,” he concluded.

At least 26 tourists were killed on Tuesday after gunmen opened fire on innocent civilians in Baisaran in Jammu and Kashmir.

According to eyewitness accounts, a group of heavily armed terrorists emerged from the nearby forests and opened indiscriminate fire on civilians, most of whom were tourists.

Baisran is a small meadow three to four km from the Pahalgam market, and tourists take horses to reach the place as there is no motorable road to it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday morning after cutting his Saudi Arabia trip short due to the terror attack.

He had a brief meeting with NSA Ajit Doval, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at the airport. PM Modi strongly condemned the terror attack on Tuesday, stating that the guilty will be brought to justice and reaffirming India’s “unshakable” resolve to fight terrorism.

--IANS

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