MPs pay tribute to martyrs of 2001 Parliament attack

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other parliamentarians on Sunday paid tributes to the martyrs of the 2001 attack on Parliament.

Along with Modi, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, veteran BJP leader L K Advani, Minority Affairs Minister Najma Heptulla, and Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha P J Kurien, were among those who paid floral tributes to the martyrs.

Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Anand Sharma, BJP MP Satyanarain Jatiya were among other members who attended a solemn ceremony held in the premises of Parliament on the occasion of the 14th anniversary of the attack.

The Prime Minister also met some of the martyr's family members who were present. The Parliamentarians also observed silence in the honour of the martyrs.

On December 13, 2001, five heavily-armed terrorists 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.

"We remember the valour of all those who lost their lives defending the temple of democracy, on this day in 2001," Prime Minister Modi said in a tweet later.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also expressed similar sentiments in a tweet.

"Salute to our brave soldiers and martyrs who dispelled the December 13, 2001 terror attack on the Parliament house. We pay tribute to the martyrs," he said.