Bodies of Amarnath pilgrims brought to Surat

Ahmedabad: The bodies of seven Amarnath pilgrims killed in the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir were brought to Gujarat's Surat airport along with the injured people and their family members in an Indian Air Force plane on Tuesday.

An alert was issued in Gujarat late on Monday night after the news came in of the terror attack, in which majority of the victims were from the state.

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani condemned the attack and said the country will never bow down to such an ideology.

Terrorists on Monday night killed seven Amarnath pilgrims, including six women, and injured 19 others as they struck at a bus in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag district, in the worst attack on the annual pilgrimage since the year 2001.

The Gujarat government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the kin of each of the deceased and Rs 2 lakh each to the injured.

Chief Minister Rupani and Patel visited Surat to receive the bodies and the injured people.

"Medical treatment will be provided to those who need it. The government will bear the cost of treatment of the injured," Rupani said.

Rupani termed the attack as an act of cowardly people.

"We condemn the terror attack. This is an act of cowardly people. India will never bow down to such ideology," he said.

The Gujarat BJP has cancelled all scheduled programmes on Tuesday which were to be attended by party president Amit Shah and NDA's presidential candidate Ram Nath Kovind.

"We have cancelled all the programmes that were to be held today, including a party meet to be attended by BJP president Amit Shah and a programme of the presidential candidate to seek support, in view of those 'martyred' in the
terror attack," Rupani said.

Shah was to visit Gujarat and take part in various events organised by the party in the run up to the state elections due later this year.

BJP's presidential nominee Ram Nath Kovind was also scheduled to come to seek support for his candidature.