Pulwama Attack: Tribute to CRPF jawans killed in Pulwama at Visakhapatnam

In a unique gesture, sand artists in Andhra Pradesh's Visakhapatnam paid tribute to the 40 CRPF jawans killed in Pulwama terror attack by using their art.

Telugu Desam Party MLA Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar and his supporters made soldiers' graves with sand art including photos and displayed their names at Rama Krishna beach in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.

"My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of our martyred soldiers," said Mr Kumar while offering flowers.

The supporters of the MLA gathered around the art and raised slogans of "Vande Mataram". They garlanded each soldier's grave in order to pay tribute and unfurled the national flag.

The Pulwama terror attack was the deadliest in Jammu and Kashmir since the start of the century

He also said that the NDA government has failed to control terrorism. "190 members joined in terrorism in 2018. But our government failed to stop them and give the intelligence report. Indian Army soldiers' hands are tied. Indian Government needs to give free hand to soldiers. NDA government failed to control terrorism," he said.

Noted sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik took to Twitter and paid a tribute to the jawans by posting a picture of his sand art. "It is extremely painful to read about the attack on our brave CRPF jawans in Pulwama. My deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of our martyred soldiers," he said.

Pulwama attack: Sudarsan Pattnaik took to Twitter to pay tribute to the soldiers killed in Pulwama

Around 40 CRPF personnel were killed on Thursday when their convoy was targeted by a suspected suicide bomber of Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Mohammad in Pulwama district on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

The convoy of 78 buses, in which around 2,500 CRPF personnel were travelling from Jammu to Srinagar, came under attack at around 3.15 pm at Ladhu Modi Lethpora. Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) has claimed responsibility for the attack.