Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met the family of Shubham Dwivedi – one of the 26 victims killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam – at Chakeri Airport in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur.
Saurabh Dwivedi, Shubham’s cousin, described it as “a very emotional meeting.”
“All the family members started crying when they met Modi,” PTI news agency quoted Saurabh Dwivedi.
Shubham, 31, had tied the knot just on February 12, just weeks before falling victim to the terror strike.
Earlier, on May 24, Shubham’s relatives had expressed their intention to meet PM Modi in Kanpur with the help of MP Ramesh Awasthi.
“We requested our Honourable Parliamentarian, Ramesh Awasthi, that kindly allow us to meet PM Modi on his scheduled visit to Kanpur on 30th May. Awasthi not only assured us of his full support but also immediately wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, requesting that he meet with us. Yesterday, we learned through the media that the Prime Minister will indeed be meeting our family during his visit to Kanpur. This news brought us a great sense of relief and hope. We had faith that the Honourable Prime Minister, who deeply respects the sacrifices made for the nation, would acknowledge our plea,” he said.
Shubham visited Pahalgam with his wife
Shubham Dwivedi was in Pahalgam with his wife and sister-in-law when terrorists attacked unarmed tourists. He was shot in the head and died instantly.
{{/usCountry}}Shubham Dwivedi was in Pahalgam with his wife and sister-in-law when terrorists attacked unarmed tourists. He was shot in the head and died instantly.
{{/usCountry}}His wife has appealed for national recognition of his sacrifice.
“I only have one hope -- that Shubham is given the status of a martyr. The Honourable Prime Minister is coming to meet us on the 30th, and I believe he will speak with us about this. I truly hope that during his visit to pay tribute to Shubham, he will officially recognise his sacrifice. It would mean everything to me if, on that day, my husband is honoured as a martyr,” she said.
India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 in retaliation to the Pahalgam terror attack, targeting terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).
In response to further Pakistani aggression, the Indian Armed Forces launched heavy strikes, including on Pakistani airbases.
Military action was paused after a call from Pakistan’s Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) to his Indian counterpart, during which both sides agreed to cease operations on May 10.
(With PTI, ANI inputs)