A file photo of chief minister Siddaramaiah with Bharath Bhushan’s family at Sundar Nagar in Mathikere

BENGALURU: The family of Bengaluru-based Bharath Bhushan, who lost his life in the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, welcomed the retaliatory strikes by India deep inside Pakistan early Wednesday.“We are proud of what the govt has done,” said Bharath’s elder brother Preetham. “I am certain the govt of India did the right things. We have faith and trust in the govt and believe it will make the right decisions,” he added.While extolling the efficacy of India’s Operation Sindoor, Bharath’s family added they “don’t want to lose any more Bharaths”.Speaking to TOI, Bharath’s father Chennaveerappa said: “No son, husband, father,or brother should be killed like this.”He praised India’s counter-terror operations, saying: “It is a good job by the military. I heard nine terrorist hideouts were targeted and destroyed, and more than 100 terrorists were eliminated. Attacks such as the one in Pahalgam should never happen.”Chennaveerappa blamed Pakistan for hosting terrorists, which he said was directly responsible for the Pahalgam attack.“It is saddening to know that so much security is needed in Kashmir, given that it is a part of India. When no military forces are needed to protect Bengaluru, Punjab, or Delhi, why only Kashmir?” Preetham wondered.Recalling his brother’s choice of Kashmir as his holiday destination, Preetham further said: “When Bharath decided on his holiday plans for Kashmir, my mother questioned his choice and suggested he go abroad instead. But Bharath responded, saying: ‘Kashmir is the Switzerland of India. Why should we (his wife and his son) go elsewhere?’ And look what has happened.”Bharath’s three-year-old son is not even aware of what happened to his father.“He is a baby and won’t understand anything. We will never tell him what happened and will protect him from knowing the truth as much as we can. But such a situation should never befall anyone or any family,” Preetham added.