Raipur (Chhattisgarh) [India], April 24 (ANI): Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao paid tributes to Dinesh Miraniya, a victim of the Pahalgam terror attack, as his mortal remains reached his residence.

The Deputy CM was accompanied by other ministers and officials of the state.

Reacting sharply to businessman Robert Vadra's remarks on the central government over the Pahalgam terror attack, a relative of one of the victims, Vinod Agarwal, alleged that the people were killed after asking their names.

Vinod Agarwal, a relative of Dinesh, said, 'This attack is on Hindutva and it has not happened because of Hindutva. People have been killed after asking their names. Congress has always done politics. The country understands the character of Congress. It has always been against Hindutva... this is not a matter of politics...'

Earlier, Businessman Robert Vadra said, 'I feel terrible and my deepest condolences are for the people who have died in this terrorist act...In our country, we see that this government will talk about Hindutva, and the minorities feel uncomfortable and troubled...If you dissect this terrorist act that took place, if they (terrorists) are looking at people's identity, why are they doing this? Because there's a divide that has come about in our country with Hindus and Muslims...This will make these kinds of organisations feel that Hindus are making a problem for all the Muslims. Looking at identities and then killing somebody, that's a message to the PM, because Muslims are feeling weakened. The minorities are feeling weakened...This has to be coming from the top that we feel secure and secular in our country and we will not see this kind of acts happening.'

As many as 26 people were killed in the dastardly attack by terrorists on tourists in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday.

India on Wednesday announced a series of steps to give a strong message to Pakistan for its support to cross-border terrorism, stating that the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 will be held in abeyance and the integrated checkpost at Attari will be closed with immediate effect.

Addressing a special press conference after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said Pakistani nationals will not be permitted to travel to India under the SAARC visa Exemption scheme.

The CCS meeting, which lasted over two hours, was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Cabinet Committee of Security (CCS), which met on Wednesday, was briefed in detail on the terrorist attack in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir in which 25 Indians and one Nepali citizen were killed.

The CCS condemned the attack in the strongest terms and expressed its deepest condolences to the families of the victims and hoped for the early recovery of the injured. In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out.

The families of victims of the Pahalgam terror attack mourned the loss of their loved ones as they urged the government to take strong action against the perpetrators of the heinous crime.

The attack, carried out by terrorists at Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam on Tuesday, is one of the deadliest in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. The attack was one of the biggest terror attacks in the region after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.

The Pahalgam terror attack has shaken people to the core. Citizens are outraged and are demanding the strictest possible action against the perpetrators. (ANI)