Kargil Vijay Diwas: Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee & others pay tribute to war heroes

The Opposition and the Centre united in an effort to remember the heroes of the Kargil War of 1999 as the nation celebrates Kargil Vijay Diwas on Monday, July 26. On the 22nd anniversary of the iconic victory, leaders like Sharad Pawar, Mamata Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi portrayed their appreciation for the armed forces of the country. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that the country will always remember their supreme sacrifice. Gandhi tweeted, "Heartfelt tributes to every soldier who laid down his life for the dignity of our tricolour." "We will always remember yours and your family's supreme sacrifice for the security of the country. Jai Hind," the former Congress chief said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted, "On Kargil Vijay Diwas, I salute the heroes who made the supreme sacrifice to protect our country. India will forever remain indebted to the brave hearts.” While Sharad Pawar tweeted, “Kargil Victory Day is a day to always remember the immense bravery of the Indian Army. Heroic death for the protection of the motherland ‍ Greetings to all the martyrs of this Kargil war.”

An emotional day for everyone

Other prominent personalities of India like Vice President M.Venkaiah Naidu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid their tribute to the martyrs on this historic day. VP Naidu said that the nation would always remain grateful to the armed forces and their families. Quoting Venkaiah Naidu, the Vice President Secretariat tweeted, "On Kargil Vijay Diwas, I join the nation in remembering our armed forces' saga of valour & gallantry. I salute the heroes of the Kargil war & Operation Vijay and pay my respectful homage to the martyrs for their supreme sacrifice.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the bravery shown by soldiers “motivates us every single day” as he paid tribute to the soldiers. As the soldiers fought and defeated Pakistani soldiers, PM Modi said that the country will never forget the sacrifice and the valour of its brave fighters. He tweeted, “We remember their sacrifices. We remember their valour. Today, on Kargil Vijay Diwas we pay homage to all those who lost their lives in Kargil protecting our nation. Their bravery motivates us every single day." 

What is the Kargil War?

The Kargil War was an armed conflict fought between India and Pakistan that occurred between May and July 1999 in the Kargil district of Kashmir, which India had decisively won. In India, the operation to clear out the Kargil was called Operation Vijay. Both the Indian Air Force and the Army worked together to remove troops of the Pakistani army from the Indian territory. The Pakistani Soldiers entered Indian soil dressed as Kashmir terrorists.