Pulwama attack: Locals protest in Gorakhpur, demand action against Pak

Locals in different districts of Gorakhpur Friday staged demonstrations condemning the Pulwama terror attack that left 40 CRPF personnel dead and demanded action against Pakistan.

The protesters raised slogans against Pakistan accusing it of sheltering the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) which carried out the audacious attack on Thursday in which a suicide bomber rammed his vehicle carrying over 100 kg of explosives into a CRPF bus in south Kashmir.

Cutting across party lines, several politicians including former Union minister Kalraj Mishra joined the protesters.

Mishra, a veteran leader of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), condemned the attack and said that India was ready to give befitting reply to Pakistan.

"Pakistan is behind Jaish so Pulwama attack is an attack by Pakistan. We don't provoke anyone but if someone provokes us, we will not spare them," Mishra said.

"Pakistan should be given a befitting reply... such that it remembers forever," he added.

Opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) workers led by former city secretary Aftab Ahmad, Kirti Nidhi Pandey and Raju Yadav burnt the Pakistani flag and raised slogans against terrorism and Pakistan.

They also burnt an effigy of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and demanded that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre give a befitting reply to Pakistan.

In Deoria, a large number of youth blocked the Chapra-Gorakhpur track demanding that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visit the family of the local CRPF personnel who died in the attack. They too raised anti-Pakistan slogans.

In Maharajganj , former SP MP Akhilesh Singh took out a protest march, while in Kushinagar, several advocates staged a demonstration and demanded action against Pakistan instead of talks and condemnation of the attack.