On the first anniversary of ghastly Pulwama terror attack, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on Friday paid rich tributes to 40 CRPF personnel who had sacrificed their lives when their convoy was targeted by a suicide bomber of Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit.
Several political leaders led by BJP National General Secretary, Ram Madhav, also visited the ground zero of the attack near Lethpora on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and offered floral tributes to the martyred CRPF jawans.
On the occasion, a memorial built in the memory of martyred CRPF personnel, was inaugurated at the Lethpora camp. The names of all the 40 personnel along with their pictures are a part of the memorial along with the moto of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) — ‘Seva and Nishtha’ (Service and Loyalty).
After attending a solemn tribute ceremony, Additional Director General of CRPF Zulfiquar Hasan said told reporters, It is a way to pay homage to the brave jawans who lost their lives in the attack,”
“The names of all the 40 soldiers along with their pictures will be part of the memorial. “It definitely was an unfortunate incident and we have learnt our lessons now. We were always extra alert during our movement but now an extra layer of alertness has been added to it,” Hasan said.
Umesh Gopinath Jadhav from Maharashtra was the special guest at the wreath-laying ceremony at CRPF campus here to mark a year of the attack.
Jadhav took a 61,000 km long journey across India to meet families of the 40 jawans who lost their lives in the attack. Jadhav met the families of the Pulwama martyrs and said that he collected the soil from their houses.
“I am proud that I met all the families of Pulwama martyrs, and sought their blessings. Parents have lost their sons, wives lost their husbands, children lost their fathers, friends lost their friends. I collected soil from their houses and their cremation grounds,” Jadhav said.
Later, the soil collected by Jadhav was placed at at the memorial at CRPF’s Lethpora camp