New Delhi, May 13 (PTI) Emotionally charged scenes dominated Kartavya Path on Tuesday as hundreds walked down it as part of the Delhi government's rally in tribute to the Indian armed forces for Operation Sindoor.
There was hardly a hand which did not hold the tricolour, and lips which did not let out a loud 'Bharat Mata ki Jai'.
'Pakistan ka poorna sanhaar,' 'Vande Mataram,' and 'Inquilab Zindabad' were chanted all along, while patriotic songs gave an exhilarating aural background to the march, which began from India Gate and concluded at the National War Memorial.
The rally, led by Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and her cabinet colleagues, saw participation from schoolchildren in uniform, NCC cadets, civil defence volunteers, and BJP workers.
Many carried banners bearing messages such as 'Pakistan ko karara jawab' and 'Chak De India,' while others lauded the valour of Indian soldiers and condemned terrorism.
"I am very proud of my country. Our army did a very good job," said Priyanshi Goel, a class 12 student of Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Khajuri Khas.
"In the Pahalgam attack, men were killed and women were spared, portraying our women as helpless. But our Indian girls, who serve in our army have shown that we are not weak. Women are capable of responding — and I believe they are even braver than men." Ritu Goel from Rajouri Garden said Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the operation against the cross-border terror camps with resolve.
"The way Pakistan widowed the sisters and daughters of my country, PM Modi has given an appropriate response. When we heard about the ceasefire, we felt he should not stop now. But when he came on TV at 8 last night and said the war was still on, our trust in him deepened. We believe a stronger response is on its way," she said.
Ramesh Chaudhary, one of the attendees, said, "You can never trust Pakistan. India will always remain on alert now. We have given a befitting reply to the terrorists and the country supporting them."
Promila, a disaster response volunteer from Shahdara, wasn't entirely satisfied: "Our response was tit-for-tat, but I feel we fell short. None of the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam attack have been neutralised yet."