New Delhi [India], April 30 (ANI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday called for strong action against terrorists involved in Pahalgam terrorist attack, saying they must pay a price and Prime Minister Narendra Modi must make it very clear that that 'India is not going to tolerate this type of nonsense'.

Addressing a press conference in the national capital hours after the government took a decision to conduct a caste census, Gandhi said PM Modi has to take action and 'must not dilly-dally'.

Rahul Gandhi, who is the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, earlier in the day met the family of Shubham Dwivedi, who was killed in the Pahalgam terror attack.

Rahul Gandhi said PM Modi can act in a timeframe he thinks necessary but also added that the Prime Minister has to act soon.

'I am saying that 28 people have been killed in cold blood. It is pretty clear who is responsible for this. The people who are responsible for this must pay a price. The PM has to take action. The action has to be clear and it has to be strong without any confusion. The PM must not dilly-dally, must not waste time, must make it very clear that India is not going to tolerate this type of nonsense. So, he needs to act...He can act in whatever timeframe he thinks necessary but he has to act soon,' the Congress leader said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday chaired a meeting which was attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Anil Chauhan and three service chiefs.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was also present at the meeting.

The meeting took place days after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on April 23, following the terror attack on tourists in Pahalgam in which 26 people were killed.

Government sources said the Prime Minister affirmed that it is India's national resolve to deal a crushing blow to terrorism.

The sources said PM Modi expressed complete faith and confidence in the professional abilities of the Indian Armed Forces.

They said that PM Modi stated that the Indian Armed Forces have complete operational freedom to decide on the mode, targets, and timing of India's response.

The government has said that the terrorists responsible for the attack and the conspirators behind it will face severe punishment.

The government had convened an all-party meeting after the Pahalgam terror attack. Opposition parties have expressed their full support for any action taken by the government against the pepetrators of the terror attack.

In the briefing to the CCS, the cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack were brought out. It was noted that this attack came in the wake of the successful holding of elections in Jammu and Kashmir and its steady progress towards economic growth and development.

The government has announced a series of measures, including putting the Indus Water Treaty in abeyance, to send a strong message to Pakistan for its support to cross-border terrorism.

Rahul Gandhi said also that the party supports the government's decision to conduct caste enumeration during forthcoming census but it should specify a timeline.

He said Telangana has provided a model for conducting caste census and it can provide a blueprint for the exercise at the national level.

The Congress leader said the Congress has been demanding a caste census and the government had 'suddenly after 11 years' taken this decision.

'We had said in the Parliament that we will make Caste Census happen. We had also said that we would scrap the 50% cap, the artificial wall that is in place. Narendra Modi used to say that there are just four castes. Don't know what happened but suddenly after 11 years, Caste Census has been announced,' Rahul Gandhi said.

'We completely support it but we want a timeline. We want to know that by when this will happen. This is the first step. Telangana has become a model in Caste Census and it can become a blueprint. We offer our support to the government in designing the Caste Census...There are two examples - Bihar's and Telangana's and there is a vast difference between the two,' he added.

Rahul Gandhi said the caste census is the first step, and there is a need to bring a new development paradigm.

'I would like to reiterate that Caste Census is the first step. Our vision is of bringing a new development paradigm through Caste Census. Not just reservations but we are also asking central questions - be it OBCs, Dalits, Adivasis, what is their participation in this country? Through Caste Census it will be found, but we have to go ahead of Caste Census...We had said one more thing, Congress had raised one more point, it was mentioned in the manifesto as well --- Article 15(5) - reservation in private education institutions. This is already a law. We want NDA-BJP Government to begin implementing it,' he added.

Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs, chaired by PM Modi, on Wednesday, decided to include caste enumeration in the upcoming census. (ANI)