New Delhi:
Country’s leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paid tribute on Thursday to security personnel who died in line of duty during the devastating Mumbai terror attack on November 26 twelve years ago. At least 166 people were killed and many more injured as 10 terrorists went on a rampage across the city in 2008.
“Today I pay obeisance to our security forces defending India, thwarting conspiracies like the Mumbai attack, and restricting terrorist activities to increasingly smaller areas,” the Prime Minister’s Office tweeted.
Today’s India is combating terrorism with new policies and new methods, read a second tweet by PM Modi in Hindi.
मैं आज मुंबई हमले जैसी साजिशों को नाकाम कर रहे, आतंक को एक छोटे से क्षेत्र में समेट देने वाले, भारत की रक्षा में प्रतिपल जुटे हमारे सुरक्षाबलों का भी वंदन करता हूं: PM
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) November 26, 2020
On the anniversary of the 26/11 terror attack, many national and state leaders also paid their respect to those who lost their life defending the country
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray laid a wreath of flowers at the Mumbai Police Commissionerate in the presence of Governor BS Koshyari and other state ministers.
Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh saluted the courage of the killed police personnel and conveyed their condolence to families of all those who died on the night of November 26.
“I pay tribute to all those who lost their lives in Mumbai 26/11 terror attacks and convey their condolences to their families. Grateful to the brave security personnel who faced the terrorists in this attack. This nation will always be grateful to your bravery and sacrifice,” Mr Shah wrote in Hindi.
My heartfelt tributes to those people who lost their lives in the dastardly terror attack on Mumbai city this day back in 2008. I salute the courage of those individuals and security personnel who saved many lives with their valiant efforts and sacrifice.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) November 26, 2020
Congress leader Ashok Chavan also paid tribute to “all the heroic sons of India who sacrificed their lives to fight the terror attack on Mumbai”.
Amid the outpouring of grief on the anniversary of the 26/11 terror attack, top industrialist Ratan Tata also wrote a moving note on Mumbai’s spirit of kindness, unity in diversity with an illustration of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, one of the prime targets besides the Oberoi hotel, the Leopold Cafe, the Nariman (Chabad) House, and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train station.
— Ratan N. Tata (@RNTata2000) November 26, 2020
In these gruesome attacks, nine terrorists were killed and the lone survivor, Ajmal Kasab, was arrested and was sentenced to death. He was executed on November 11, 2012.
Tributes poured from across the world, including the United States which said that the country stand with India in the fight against terrorism and affirmed its commitment to holding the perpetrators of the attack accountable and ensuring justice for the victims.