Union Minister refuses to accept bouquets at Surat event till 'India avenges Pahalgam attack'

Surat, May 4 (IANS) Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil has said that he won't accept any welcome bouquets or mementoes until India avenges the deadly terror attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people.

Arriving at an investors' conference on Saturday in Gujarat's Surat city, Paatil politely turned down any bouquets or mementoes.

The Union Minister's decision was announced by an organiser who said that the former "decided that he would not be welcomed with bouquets or mementos until Pahalgam is avenged", triggering applause from the audiences.

"No welcome, till there is revenge," Paatil later said in Gujarati.

Following the suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty as part of India's action against Pakistan, the Union Minister had said that New Delhi won't allow a "single drop" of water to flow into Islamabad.

In a post on X, he said: "The historic decision taken by the Modi government on the Indus Water Treaty is completely justified and in the national interest. We will ensure that not even a drop of water from the Indus River goes to Pakistan."

Paatil has been stern about his stance on the terror attack in Pahalgam and Pakistan's role in it.

On April 22, terrorists killed 26 people, mostly tourists, in Baisaran meadow near Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

Additionally, India took several actions against Pakistan in the aftermath of the terror attack, including closing the integrated check post at Attari, revoking all Pakistanis' visas and reducing the overall strength of Pakistan's High Commissions across the nation.

Paatil, at the seventh Global Investor Conference in Surat, said that he had a very meaningful dialogue on matters such as entrepreneurship, investment, and innovation regarding the developing future of India.

"...under the leadership of Narendra Modi, the vision of a 'Developed India' is rapidly becoming a reality. Today's India is not just a consumer but is emerging as a global leader in investment," he said in a post on X.

The escalating tensions between India and Pakistan have triggered several actions from both sides.

On Saturday, India banned the direct or indirect import of all goods from Pakistan with immediate effect.

India suspended the exchange of all categories of mail and parcels from Pakistan through air and surface routes.

New Delhi also placed a ban on Pakistan-flagged ships from entering Indian ports and prohibited Indian-flagged vessels from visiting ports in Pakistan.

--IANS

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