Thousands of Muslims from south Mumbai joined the wide-spread protests staged by several groups and political parties across the metropolis against Thursday’s Pulwama terror attacks which left 44 CRPF personnel dead, even as the Maharashtra Government announced an ex-gratia of Rs 50 lakh each to the next of kin of two jawans from the state killed in the attack.
Muslims, carrying the Indian Tricolour, banners, placards and raising anti-Pakistan slogans, took out a massive procession along the busy Mohammed Ali Road in downtown south Mumbai.
The slogans like “Pakistan Murdabad, LeT Murdabad, “Down with Masood Azhar and Hafiz Saeed” and “JeM Murdabad” rented the air, as the Muslims staged protest marches in localities of Saifee Jubilee Street, Handiwala Mosque, Sunni Bilal Mosque. Most of these areas observed a spontaneous bandh.
In a related development, the BJP-led by Ram Kadam, Raj Purohit and others –staged protests against the Pakistani-sponsored terror strike in different parts of the metropolis.
The Maharashtra and Mumbai Congress units orgainsed special condolence meetings at the state, city and district party headqua
“We are all one who mourned the death of live under and all are sons of BharatMata! We should not think of caste,a ligion or faith. We are the followers of Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam,” Fadnavis said, while describing the Pulgama terror strikes as an “absolute cowardly and condemnable act”.
Ruling Shiv Sena, MNS and the NCP organised similar protests and demonstrations at various parts of the city other parts of the state, while the MNS activists burnt the Pakistan flags in Mumbai and Thane.
The Bharat Diamond Bourse, Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council and Mumbai Diamond Merchants Association also held a joint condolence meeting for the martyred troopers at the BDB Complex in Bandra Kurla in north-central Mumba.
The city also witnessed protests outside major suburban railway stations where lakh home-bound commuters raised slogans against Pakistan and the perpetrators behind the Pulgama attacks
Meanwhile, Maharashtra mourned the death of two Army jawans — identified as Sanjay Rajput (45) and Nitin Rathod from Buldhana district in eastern Maharashtra — in the attacks.
While Sanjay Rajput is originally from Malkapur, Nitin Rathod belonged to Chorpangra village in Buldhana district.
Sanjay’s brother Rajesh said that his brother is survived by wife Sushma Rajput and two sons Jai (13) and Shubham (11). Sanjay said his brother had left Nagpur on 11 February for his new posting with the 115th battalion in Srinagar. “ I called him morning of the day of the incident, around 9.30 am, when he told me he had left Jammu at 3.30 am to join his new posting,” Rajesh said..
Nitin (36) is survived by wife Vandana, who said has a new couple have two minor children — Jeevan (8) and Jivika (5).
