Actor Ajith Kumar has condemned the recent Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 that left 26 people dead and several others injured and underlined the need to respect every religion and caste and highlighted the need to hold peace and unity.

Speaking to ANI after he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, he expressed his deepest sympathies to the families of the victims. "I hope and pray that such things don't happen. I'm sure the government is doing the best that they can. Let's just keep our fingers crossed and pray that somewhere over a period of time, we all learn to empathise with one another and then keep all our differences aside and live as a peaceful society," he said.

Paying tribute to the armed forces and their contribution to the safety of the country, he noted that he salutes them for their sacrifices. "They work very hard so that we are able to sleep peacefully. My heart goes out to them, and I wish them and their families a beautiful life. They're working so tirelessly to safeguard our borders, and I think at least in their honour we should, within our country, learn to respect each other and respect every religion, every caste and let's not fight at least within ourselves in india. Let us be one peaceful society," he emphasised.

In the wake of the incident, the Central government has decided to hold the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance until Pakistan credibly and irrevocably abjures its support for cross-border terrorism and has closed the integrated Attari check post. The Central government has also revoked all categories of visas issued to Pakistani citizens, except long-term visas, diplomatic and official visas, with immediate effect from April 27.

Meanwhile, Ajith Kumar on Monday received the Padma Bhushan award for distinguished service of high order to art at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. He received the award from President Droupadi Murmu in the presence of his family and several ministers from the Indian government, including PM Modi.