Pahalgam attack: Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai attends victim's funeral, says Pakistan will be taught a lesson

Raipur: Pakistan will have to pay the price for the Pahalgam terror attack, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai said on Thursday as he attended the funeral of a Raipur-based businessman killed in the tragedy.

Sai and Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Sharma lent their shoulders to the mortal remains of Dinesh Mirania, who was shot dead by terrorists in Pahalgam in south Kashmir when he was celebrating his wedding anniversary with his wife and two children on Tuesday.

A large number of people followed the funeral cortege of the businessman from his home in Samta Colony to the crematorium in Purani Basti while chanting patriotic as well as anti-Pakistan slogans.

Mirania's 18-year-old son Shaurya lit the funeral pyre.

Chief Minister Sai, Deputy CM Vijay Sharma, Finance Minister OP Choudhary, state BJP chief Kiran Singh Deo, former Congress MLA Kuldeep Juneja, other politicians, senior administration and police officials and people from different walks of life bid an emotional farewell to him.

Sai, who was on a two-day trip to Mumbai to attend events related to textile and steel sectors and meet industry leaders, cut short his tour and reached Raipur to attend the final rites of the terror attack victim in the morning.

Paying tribute to Mirania, Sai said his "sacrifice will not go in vain and Pakistan has to pay the price for the (terror) act".

He also said a road or a square in Raipur will be named after Mirania.

"Terrorists have committed a cowardly act in Kashmir and shot unarmed people. We strongly condemn their cowardly act," he said.

"Chhattisgarh has also lost a son. Dinesh is no more among us. Today, we all have gathered to bid him a final farewell. We pay our humble tribute to him. His sacrifice will not go in vain," Sai said.

Pakistan will have to "bear the brunt" of this (terror) act. India has always given a "befitting reply" to Pakistan and the neighbouring country will be taught a lesson, he said.

"We will keep the memory of Dinesh ji alive. We will name a road or a square in Raipur after him, so that the coming generations will also remember him," the chief minister said.

Earlier in the morning, Chhattisgarh Governor Ramen Deka and assembly speaker Raman Singh paid tribute to Mirania at his house.