'He was visibly emotional': What PM Modi told kin of Pahalgam attack victim Shubham Dwivedi

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday had an emotional meeting with the family of Shubham Dwivedi, a 31-year-old businessman who was among those killed in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, while visiting Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur.

PM Modi, while meeting the Shubham's family at Kanpur Airport, offered his condolences and assured full government support.

According to Shubham's wife, PM Modi told the family that the fight against terrorism is for a long haul and will continue.

"He (the Prime Minister) offered his condolences and said he stands with the entire family. He said it not just on his behalf, but on behalf of the entire nation. He came here to give his heartfelt condolences, and throughout the time he spoke with us, he kept saying that the entire country is standing with us. He was visibly emotional—you could see it in his expressions. He even came up to my father, placed a hand on his shoulder, and said, "We are all with you," Shubham's wife said.

"The first thing he said was that the fight against terrorism is going to be long, and it will go on," she added.

During the meeting, Shubham's wife also told the prime minister that terrorists are trying to divide India on religious lines.

"I told him that they were trying to divide us on religious lines. I didn’t have to say directly that they were killing based on religion—everyone already knew that. I said that those Pakistani terrorists came and asked us our religion before killing us. They wanted to divide us internally between Hindus and Muslims," she said.

"He said we will meet again, and we’ll continue the conversation or whatever steps are needed going forward," she added.

The meeting comes after a request was made to Kanpur MP Ramesh Awasthi , who promptly wrote to the Prime Minister’s Office seeking time for the grieving family.

Shubham, who had recently married on February 12, was visiting Baisaran meadow in Pahalgam with his wife and sister-in-law when terrorists opened fire on unarmed tourists. He was shot in the head and died on the spot. A total of 26 people, including one Nepali national, were killed in the attack.

Since his death, Shubham’s family has been appealing to the government for him to be recognised as a martyr.

“Our son was tragically killed in a terrorist attack… targeted simply for being a Hindu,” a family member was quoted as saying by ANI. “We sincerely hope that, during his visit, the Prime Minister will announce that Shubham will be officially honoured as a martyr.”