PM Pledges to Bring 26/11 Perpetrators to Justice
Mumbai/New Delhi, Nov 26, (PTI): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday pledged to redouble efforts to bring the perpetrators of Mumbai terror attacks to justice as India paid homage to the martyrs on the second anniversary of the carnage.
Union Home Minister P Chidambaram paid tributes to those killed in the attacks by laying a wreath at the martyrs' memorial at Police Gymkhana in south Mumbai.
"On this day of remembrance, we salute the courage, unity and the resolve of ordinary Mumbaikars and the brave and selfless action of our men in uniform during the attack," the Prime Minister said in a statement in New Delhi.
Singh said, "It is this spirit and strength of character of the Indian people that will defeat such forces that seek to threaten our social fabric and way of life".
"We will never succumb to the designs of our enemies. We pledge to redouble our efforts to bring the perpetrators of this crime against humanity to justice," he said
Noting that Mumbai was subjected to a brutal terrorist attack that claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent people, he said the nation joins the bereaved families in remembering and mourning those who perished in this barbaric attack.
Besides Chidambaram, Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Maharashtra Home Minister R R Patil were among those who paid homage to the 166 martyrs.
Family members of many of those killed also attended the programme in Mumbai. Chidambaram and those present observed a minute's silence.
The Union Home Minister also interacted with the family members of the martyrs and enquired about their well-being before he went to review the advanced security weapons and vehicles procured by the city police.
Maharashtra Police took out a parade in south Mumbai beginning from Oberoi Trident Hotel, one of the sites of the deadly strikes.
The parade, which was attended by the Maharashtra Chief Minister and several of his cabinet colleagues, saw the participation of the teams of Force One, Quick Response Teams (QRT) and Mumbai police.
The parade displayed advanced anti-terror combat vehicles and weapons procured by the state police following the terror attack.
A 1.3-km long banner, which read 'The Great Wall of Mumbai', was held by hundreds of students from Mumbai. The banner starts from hotel Trident.
After paying homage to those killed in the attacks, Kavita Karkare, wife of slain Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, said, "I'm not feeling secure maybe because I lost my husband. I will never feel secure in this country".
Smita Salaskar, wife of Police Inspector Vijay Salaskar who was also killed in the attacks, questioned how the 10 terrorists managed to infiltrate into the country despite heavy security.
"I'm still not satisfied with the existing security of the country," she said.
Karkare, Salaskar and Additional Commissioner of Police Ashok Kamte died fighting terrorists outside Cama hospital in south Mumbai on the fateful night of November 26, 2008.