New Delhi, Dec 13: On the 24th anniversary of the 2001 Parliament attack, Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan led Parliamentarians in paying floral tributes to the brave personnel who lost their lives thwarting terrorists at the Parliament House. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the first to offer his respects.
A brief ceremony was held outside the now old Parliament building, Samvidhan Sadan, where CISF personnel presented a salute, followed by a moment of silence to honour the fallen. Until 2023, CRPF personnel used to offer ‘salami shastra’ (present arms) as part of the commemorative rituals.
Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were present, along with Union Ministers Kiren Rijiju, Jitendra Singh, and Arjun Ram Meghwal, who offered floral tributes at photographs of the personnel who sacrificed their lives. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attended a separate event in Latur to pay respects to former Speaker and Union Minister Shivraj Patil.
The 2001 attack was carried out by five armed terrorists, but swift action by the then Parliament Security Service, CRPF, and Delhi Police prevented any of them from entering the building. The attack claimed the lives of six Delhi Police personnel, two Parliament Security Service personnel, a gardener, and a TV video journalist. All five terrorists were neutralised on the Parliament forecourt.