Markets across Delhi will remain closed on Friday as traders observe a “Delhi Bandh” in protest against the brutal terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, which left 26 people dead, including one Nepali citizen. The call for a shutdown reflects the growing anger and grief across India.

The terror attack — one of the deadliest since the 2019 Pulwama bombing — has sparked widespread demonstrations from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Political parties, student groups, and common citizens have taken to the streets, demanding justice and stronger action against terrorism.

On Thursday evening, BJP Yuva Morcha led a protest in Bhubaneswar, where Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal declared the government’s firm resolve to eliminate terrorism in all its forms.

In Kashmir’s Anantnag district, students from the Government Degree College for Women marched through the town, holding banners and expressing their solidarity with the victims.

“We strongly condemn this act. Terrorism has no religion, and this attack does not represent Kashmir or its people. We stand for peace,” a participating student said.

Candlelight vigils were held in several cities including Ayodhya, Delhi, and Bhopal. In Ayodhya, citizens lit candles to honor the memory of the victims. Members of the Khan Market Trade Association in Delhi also joined in with a silent march.

In Bhopal, BJP MP and Madhya Pradesh BJP President VD Sharma led a candlelight procession, declaring, “Today the whole of Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, and the nation is united against terrorism. Not a single terrorist will be spared.”

The attack took place in the scenic Baisaran meadow of Pahalgam, a popular tourist site. Gunmen reportedly opened fire on tourists, sparing those who could recite the Islamic declaration of faith.

The incident has triggered comparisons to the 2019 Pulwama suicide bombing that killed 40 CRPF personnel and is being viewed as a major challenge to the government's security policy since the abrogation of Article 370.

As protests grow and security is heightened, the mood across the nation remains somber yet united in a single voice: to end terrorism once and for all.