'No welcome, till there is revenge': Minister refuses to accept bouquet at an event

NEW DELHI: Union Jal Shakti minister CR Patil on Saturday refused to accept a bouquet or any other symbol of welcome at an event in Gujarat 's Surat and said he would continue to do so until adequate retribution is taken for the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam , which claimed 26 lives.

After his speech at the Global Investor Conference, Patil informed the organisers on stage that he would not accept any such honour after the announcement that he would be welcomed with a bouquet. Patil also declined to accept the memento from the organisers.

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

A person on the stage said the Union minister has decided that "he will not be welcomed by a bouquet or a memento till the Pahalgam terror attack is avenged." "So we are standing here only for the group photo," he added.

Patil greeted people with folded hands as they lauded his gesture.

The government has affirmed India's national resolve to deal a crushing blow to terrorism. It has said that the terrorists responsible for the attack and the conspirators behind it will face severe punishment.

The government has announced a series of measures, including putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, to send a strong message to Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism.

Earlier, Patil had said after the Pahalgam terror attack that the government will ensure not even a single drop of water from the Indus River reaches Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the government has given the armed forces complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of India's response.

The government had convened an all-party meeting after the Pahalgam terror attack where ppposition parties expressed their full support for any action taken by the government against the perpetrators of the terror attack.