Siddaramaiah urges Centre to eliminate terrorists, ensure Pahalgam like incidents don't repeat

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday paid respects to Bharath Bhushan, who was shot dead in the terrorist attack at Pahalgam in Jammu-Kashmir, and urged the central government to eliminate terrorists and ensure that such incidents don't repeat.

Asserting that everyone is with the Centre in its action against the terrorists, he, however, reiterated intelligence failure in stopping the attack from happening.

Bodies of two tourists from Karnataka who were killed by the terrorists in the Pahalgam terror attack were brought to the Kempegowda International Airport here in the early hours on Thursday.

Manjunath Rao and Bharath Bushan were among the 26 people killed in front of their families after confirming their religious identity in Pahalgam on Tuesday. Most of those killed by terrorists were tourists.

While Rao's body was taken to his hometown Shivamogga, Bushan's body was brought to his residence in Bengaluru. The last rites are likely to take place later in the day.

"On behalf of the government and seven crore Kannadigas, I pay my respects to Bharath Bhushan. Still young age, he was 41 years old and a BE, MBA graduate. An untoward incident has happened. This is an inhuman act. I strongly condemn it," Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters here after paying respects to Bhushan, he said that eliminating terrorists is the responsibility of the government. Terrorism and terrorist activities should have no place in the country.

"For no reason the government (central) should show any discount towards this. We are all with the central government. I urge the Centre to eliminate all terrorists. Our full support is there for this" he added.

Pointing out that innocent people who had gone to Kashmir as tourists were killed in front of their wives and children, the CM said, there cannot be another heinous and inhuman act than this. He further said that he strongly condemned it.

Citing the Pulwama terror incident in which around 40 soldiers were killed, he said, "Now this incident has happened. It should be ensured that such incidents don't repeat. The terrorists should be traced and they should be eliminated from the country. I urge the central government to take such measures. I somewhere feel that there was intelligence failure." Noting that two people from the state have died and another person from Andhra who was a resident of Bengaluru was also killed and his body has been taken to his home state, Siddaramaiah said, Minister Madhu Bangarappa will be paying respect to Manjunath Rao in Shivamogga, on behalf of the government.

The government has announced Rs 10 lakh each to the family of the deceased, and will always be with them, he said.

A team of officers and Minister Santosh Lad rushed to Jammu and Kashmir to get back bodies to the state, and to ensure the return of Kannadigas who had gone there as tourists. 177 Kannadigas are being brought back. "It is the responsibility of the government," the CM said.

Bharath Bhushan was shot dead by the terrorists while his wife Sujatha and their three-year-old son were spared. While Manjunath Rao, a realtor, was also killed in the presence of his wife and son.