M A I N   N E W S

Nation remembers  December 13 martyrs
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 13
The nation today paid tributes to the martyrs who laid down their lives while defending the highest seat of democracy on December 13 two years ago.

Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha Najma Heptulla, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Dr Manmohan Singh, and others offered flowers at the plaque bearing the inscription, “The martyrs of December 13, 2001”.

The dignitaries stood in silence for a few minutes in memory of the nine security personnel, including a woman, who were killed in the incident.

Mr Advani also went round the blood donation camp organised in the Parliament House. Several security personnel and officials of Parliament donated blood on the occasion.

Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena today demanded that India, instead of extending a hand of friendship, should repay Pakistan in its own coin.

In a memorandum to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the Shiv Sena urged the government not to extend a hand of friendship to Pakistan, which had always been aiding terrorists on Indian soil.

Referring to the attack on the Parliament House, the memorandum said, “Some of the accused in the Parliament attack case are still operating from jails, making a mockery of Indian laws.

“Such terrorists should be hanged so that Pakistan, a sponsor of terrorism, gets the right message” it said, adding that “this would be the real homage to those who died fighting terrorists inside the Parliament complex.”

Earlier, a large number of Shiv Sainiks held an anti-Pakistan, anti-Musharraf demonstration to mark the second anniversary of the attack.