We will never forget cowardly attack on our Parliament: PM Narendra Modi

India will never forget the cowardly attack on its Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday as the nation paid tributes to those who lost their lives in the terror strike on this day in 2001.

Nine persons, including eight security personnel, died in the attack by terrorists belonging to Pakistan-based outfits. All five terrorists were killed by security forces.

"While commemorating the great sacrifice of those defenders of the temple of our democracy, we strengthen our resolve to defeat the forces of terror," President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted

At a brief ceremony held outside the Parliament building, floral tributes were paid at the portraits of the personnel by Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairperson M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union ministers and Opposition leaders.

Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Harivansh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Leader of Opposition in the Upper House Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party and Rajiv Shukla of the Congress were among those who paid homage.

The leaders observed a moment of silence as a mark of respect.

"We will never forget the cowardly attack on our Parliament on this day in 2001. We recall the valour and sacrifice of those who lost their lives protecting our Parliament. India will always be thankful to them," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

The terror attack had pushed India-Pakistan ties to a new low and India had mobilised its armed forces under Operation Parakram.

The incident also led to a massive upgrade in the security of the Parliament complex.

In a Facebook post, Vice President Naidu said that December 13 is a stark reminder of the menace of terrorism and its professed antagonism to democratic values and economic aspirations.

A catastrophe was averted by the alert and brave security personnel guarding the Parliament House. Eight of them sacrificed their precious lives and a gardener fell to the gunfire of the terrorists. All five terrorists were killed in a quick and spirited response, Naidu recalled.

He observed that a brave woman constable was in the forefront of the spirited fight against the terrorists. CRPF constable Kamlesh Kumari first spotted the terrorists and kept tracking their movements inside the Parliament complex and informed the same to her seniors.

"Her bravery was instrumental in quickly putting down the terrorists’ game plan. She fell to the barrage of the bullets pumped into her and became a martyr, leaving a saga of inspiration and commitment to fight for the country," Naidu said.

"I pay my tributes, along with our grateful nation, to all the eight security personnel and the gardener whose acts of sacrifice will forever be etched in the minds of our countrymen," he wrote.

The first year of this millennium was in fact a horrible one for the world. The year 2001 closed with ghastly terror attacks on the nerve centers of democracy and economy, he pointed out.

"The most populous democracies of the world, India and the US, were at the receiving end. The attack on the World Trade Centre in September that year and on Indian Parliament in December revealed the agenda of the terror outfits. During the last two decades, several such attacks of different degrees were witnessed by humanity," he said.

The only agenda of terror outfits, Naidu said, is to disrupt the democratic and economic fabric of the world and force humanity into a dark era. Such nefarious designs shall be brought to an end through effective and collective global action.

The state and non-state actors who prop up terrorism as an instrument of state policy for narrow ends should be isolated by the global community and made to behave, he felt.

"India has been piloting the proposal for adoption of a UN Convention against Terrorism. While many countries from across different continents support India’s voice in this regard, there are some who are oblivious to the larger threats of terrorism out of narrow geo-political geopoliticalconsiderations.

"They should realise that in the end, everybody will end up a loser if the menace of terror is not rolled back through a united effort," the vice president asserted.

The message of 2001 should awaken every citizen and every country to the lurking dangers of terrorism for mounting an effective action to roll it back, he said concluding his post with the hashtag "ParliamentAttack".

People from different walks of life posted messages on social media paying tributes to the slain security personnel.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that the country will always remember the valour of the security personnel.

"Their bravery will also be remembered by the future generations of this country," Singh tweeted.

"I pay my heartfelt tributes to the brave sons of Mother India who made supreme sacrifice by taking on the enemies in the cowardly terrorist attack on the Parliament House, the temple of democracy, in 2001. A grateful nation will forever be indebted for your supreme sacrifice," Home Minister Shah tweeted in Hindi.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) has brought out a book chronicling the valour of its bravehearts, including Kamlesh Kumari who sacrificed her life during the Parliament attack in 2001.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla released the book in his chamber on the anniversary of the attack on Sunday.

"I am sure that this book will fill hearts of everyone with pride and inspire the generations to come," Birla said.