Vijay Rupani to recommend bus driver Salim Mirza's name for bravery award

GANDHINAGAR: At the Prajapati household at Gandevi in Navsari district and the Patel household at Kunta village near Vapi, Monday evening had brought an equal measure of tears. Champaben Prajapati and Ratilal Patel were among the seven killed in the terror attack on Amarnath pilgrims from Gujarat and Maharashtra at Anantnag on Monday evening.

As the villagers got together to bid adieu to Champaben and Ratilal one final time, anger against the perpetrators is seething across the state, with people taking to streets demonstrating against Pakistan and terrorism, and demanding justice for the victims.

On Tuesday evening, an Indian Air Force plane brought the dead, injured and the rest in that ill-fated bus, which came under terrorist fire, to Surat where the top representatives of the government, including the CM, and BJP leaders were present.

CM Vijay Rupani announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the close relatives of the dead, and Rs 2 lakh to the injured. Rupani was all praise for the driver of the bus, Salim Mirza, who is reported to have saved several lives by continuing to drive the bus while it came under fire from all sides. The CM said Mirza’s name would be recommended for bravery award. Their bus came under fire while they were returning from the shrine.

The dead comprised five women and two men. Five of them were from Gujarat and two from Maharashtra.

State Congress chief Bharatsinh Solanki also condemned the attack.