Congress to hold candlelight march across Karnataka condemning Pahalgam terror attack

Mysuru (Karnataka), April 25 (IANS) The ruling Congress party in Karnataka has directed its leaders to observe a candlelight march in all district headquarters across the state on Friday evening, condemning the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were shot dead by terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

Karnataka Congress President and Deputy Chief Minister, D.K. Shivakumar, stated in Mysuru on Friday, “To pay respects to all the victims who were killed in the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, and to pray for their souls, party workers and leaders should carry out a candlelight protest in all district headquarters.”

“The Congress party has issued directions in this regard. I have also conveyed the message that all party workers must participate in the candlelight protest at this time. The Congress party strongly condemns the incident. Our party will extend full cooperation to maintain peace, integrity, and unity in the country, and we are committed to this cause,” Dy CM Shivakumar said.

When asked about security lapses related to the Pahalgam terror attack, Dy CM Shivakumar said that the Congress party would not point fingers at anyone at this moment.

“This is not the time for criticism or mudslinging. Let the BJP issue any statement they want. I am the president of a responsible political party,” he said.

“If someone expresses an opinion on this matter, it will be played up by the media. Right now, peace is what people need. We should not fall prey to the acts of a few elements. If people from outside the country are coming here and unleashing violence, we should not end up fighting among ourselves,” he added.

“The central government has already stated that they will take strict action. The Congress party has urged them to do so. It is now up to the Centre,” he said.

Shivakumar also released a video appealing to party members: “All party MLAs, leaders, and workers — we should all bow our heads in respect following the terror attack in Kashmir. It is our duty to protect the integrity, unity, and peace of the country.

“The Congress party has sent me a message, and I am sharing it with you. Including Bengaluru, a prayer should be held for the victims at all district headquarters on Friday at 7 p.m. We must pay our respects to them by participating in a candlelight march with candles or lamps.”

Dy CM Shivakumar further told the media, “We have decided to hold a ‘Cauvery Aarti’ at the KRS Dam on the lines of the Ganga Aarti and have reserved Rs 98 crore for it. A committee has been formed with members from the Religious Endowment Department, the Tourism Department, the Bengaluru Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), and other agencies. A meeting has been held to identify the appropriate location at the dam. We are also taking steps to include coastal Karnataka’s traditional sport ‘Kambala’ in this year’s Mysuru Dasara celebrations.”

“The Cauvery Aarti is purely a religious initiative. The Cauvery River is our lifeline — not just for Karnataka, but also for Tamil Nadu and Kerala. It provides drinking water, supports agriculture, and supplies water to Bengaluru and industrial areas. We need to offer our prayers to the Goddess Cauvery. Therefore, we are initiating the tradition of worshipping the river. This event will be jointly organised by the Religious Endowment, Kannada and Culture, Tourism, Irrigation, and BWSSB departments,” Dy CM Shivakumar added.

--IANS

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