Tirunelveli (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 23 (ANI): Congress on Wednesday staged a protest in Tamil Nadu's Tirunelveli district condemning the Pahalgam terrorist attack, which happened on Tuesday afternoon.

The protest was led by the President of the Tirunelveli District Congress Committee, Shankar Pandian, Tensions erupted during the protests as the protesters burnt the effigy of Pakistan. However, the police officials intervened and seized the effigy.

In response to the police's actions, the protestors tore the photograph of the Pakistani president and set it ablaze on the ground, which made the situation tense.

The protestors also raised slogans against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, demanding his resignation and also blamed him for the lapse in national security. However, the police officials controlled the situation later.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) today, hours after he returned to the national capital after cutting short his visit to Saudi Arabia.

The CCS meeting was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Earlier in the day, Rajnath Singh expressed deep sorrow over the loss of innocent lives in the recent terror attack in Pahalgam and vowed the government's determination to punish the perpetrators of the terror attack.

He said those involved will soon see a loud and clear response.

'I want to repeat India's resolve against terrorism. We have a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism... I want to assure the countrymen that the government will take every necessary step. We will not only reach the perpetrators of this act but also the actors behind the scenes... The accused will soon see a loud and clear response, I want to assure the country,' he said at an event here.'We lost many innocent lives in the cowardly act in Pahalgam. We are deeply distressed. I express my condolences to the families who lost their loved ones...,' Singh said. (ANI)