Tributes paid to martyrs

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri have said that the state was proud of its two brave sons who were posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra and the Shaurya Chakra by President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi on Thursday evening.

Sukhu said that the honour was a reflection of the courage, sacrifice and unbreakable spirit of the people of Himachal Pradesh. Gunner Nayak Dilwar Khan (28) of Gharwasda village in Una district and Havildar Rohit Kumar Negi (23) of Taranda village in Kinnaur district were given awards posthumously for their supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

Agnihotri said that the state was proud of their valour. Khan has been posthumously awarded the Kirti Chakra for his bravery in fighting terrorists in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, on July 23, 2024, while Negi has been awarded the Shaurya Chakra after he lost his life in an avalanche while on duty in Kashmir on October 8, 2023, and his body was recovered after nine months.