Leaders pay homage to martyrs of Parliament attack

NEW DELHI: Parliamentarians led by Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar today paid homage to martyrs on the 11th anniversary of the attack on Parliament.

UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, her son and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Leaders of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley respectively and other members attended a solemn ceremony held in the premises of Parliament.

The leaders observed a silence for a while in remembrance of the martyrs.

On December 13, 2001, five heavily-armed gunmen stormed the Parliament complex and opened indiscriminate fire, killing nine persons.

The martyrs included five Delhi Police personnel, a woman Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) official, two Parliament watch and ward staff and a gardener.

A journalist, who was injured, died later. All five terrorists were shot dead.

A year later, four accused, including Afzal Guru, were arrested for the attack and found guilty after a trial. Guru was hanged this year in February after spending several years in jail.