Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], April 26 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Tejasvi Surya on Saturday participated in a torchlight protest in Bengaluru, strongly condemning the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which claimed the lives of 26 civilians.

Addressing the media during the protest, Surya, who is an MP from Bangalore South constituency, said that the protest is to condemn the 'brutal massacre of the Hindus' that took place in Pahalgam.

'This protest is to condemn the brutal massacre of the Hindus that took place in Pahalgam. An attack of this nature, singling out the Hindu community and butchering them, is something the government had not seen on this scale before,' he said.

'The Government of India under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has taken this issue extremely seriously, a slew of diplomatic measures against Pakistan have already been set in motion... The people of the country need to place their absolute faith and trust in the leadership of the country and the armed forces to respond, in the time and manner of their choosing,' he added.

He further asserted that Congress have no right to question the BJP or the Prime Minister when it comes to matters of security and national integrity.

'As far as the Congress in Karnataka is concerned, the CM or the party have no moral authority to question the BJP or the Prime Minister when it comes to matters of security and national integrity... Congress has been the single biggest force in the country that has contributed to the deepening and the strengthening of terrorism in the country,' Surya stated.

Surya emphasised that this is the time to show political maturity.

'All support from all quarters is welcome. This is a time to show political maturity. We hope all parties do not pander to vote bank and appeasement at this point in time, but speak in one voice and stand in solidarity with the government,' the BJP MP said.

The terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, has resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians.

Meanwhile, in a significant development amid heightened security concerns following the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam, intelligence agencies have compiled a list of 14 local terrorists actively operating in the Union Territory.

According to sources, these individuals, aged between 20 to 40 years, are actively aiding foreign terrorists from Pakistan by providing logistical and ground-level support.

The identified operatives are reportedly affiliated with three major Pakistan-backed terror outfits: Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Among them, three are associated with Hizbul Mujahideen, eight with LeT, and three with JeM. (ANI)