Putin Dialed PM Modi, Condemned Pahalgam Terror Attack; Rajnath Singh To Skip Russia’s Victory Day Parade Over Pahalgam Attack
New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and emphasised that the perpetrators of the “heinous” Pahalgam terror attack should be brought to justice, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Monday.
Both leaders reiterated their commitment to further deepen the special and privileged strategic partnership between both countries. PM Modi was invited by Russia to attend the Victory Day to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Germany in World War II. However, he will not visit Russia in light of the security situation following the Pahalgam attack.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, too, is likely to skip Russia’s Victory Day parade and Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Sanjay Seth is expected to represent India at the annual event. The Victory Day is Russia’s national pride and is attended by several global leaders and military representatives. The Russian President is expected to visit India for the annual summit between both countries later this year.
PM Modi visited Russia twice last year, one for the annual summit with President Vladimir Putin and the second trip to attend the Brics summit in Kazan. In a hard-hitting message, PM Modi has vowed to identify and track down the terrorists and their backs “at the ends of the earth”. He has also given the armed forces “complete operational freedom” to respond to the Pahalgam terror attack during a high-level security meeting on Tuesday, government sources said.
