During an election rally in Rajasthan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday attacked Congress party, saying “there were Congress governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra and 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai.”
Two lawyers, Amin Solkar and Farhana Shah, who defended Ajmal Kasab in the 2008 Mumbai attack case on the directions of the Bombay High Court, are yet to get their legal fees from the Maharashtra government.
While the state government says they have not submitted any bills, the lawyers say that state prosecutors are not supposed to.
The two lawyers were tasked with defending Kasab, hanged to death on 21 November, 2012, for killing over 166 people in Mumbai, by the Maharashtra State Legal Services Department, after they were nominated by then acting Chief Justice of Bombay High Court J N Patel.
India is better prepared and better organised since a group of sea-borne terrorists struck at the heart of Mumbai 10 years back, thanks to a string of security measures including a layered maritime surveillance, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba told PTI.
“We have come a long way since then,” he told PTI in an interview in his office in South Block on the 10th anniversary of the 26/11.
A big salute to Railways announcer Vishnu Dattaram Zende, who saved countless lives amidst the panic of the 26/11 attack at Mumbai's CSMT by calmly guiding people to safety using the public announcement system. https://t.co/HRDBNHbXS2
On the 10th anniversary of #MumbaiTerrorAttack, I Salute all the heroes of 26/11. Time and again #Mumbai has proved that any attempt of disintegrating our country by using terrorism will never succeed. On this day let's resolve to stay united against terrorism.
We wil not forget the sacrifices, we will not forgive the perpetrators of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
Tributes to those who lost their lives in the cowardly terrorist attack and salute to the bravehearts who defended our nation and its people. pic.twitter.com/TlQVUInHYO
He also took a dig at the Congress, who was in power at the time, saying that while the incident had shaken up the whole country, the Congress were busy “giving lessons in patriotism”.
Ten years after the Mumbai terror attacks, thoughts with families and individuals who suffered. We salute those from the police and security forces who made the supreme sacrifice that day. India remains honour-bound to securing justice, and defeating terrorism #PresidentKovind
Today, as the nation observes the 10th anniversary of the terror attack in Mumbai in 2008, we feel the pain of the families who lost their loved ones in that dastardly attack. I salute the courage & sacrifice of our security forces & Police who fought bravely against terrorists.
My tributes to the victims and brave martyrs of dastardly 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks on its 10th Anniversary. We will continue to seek justice for their families and friends. India will defeat terrorism.
Invoking the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday criticised the Congress for teaching "patriotism" to opposition parties then and now, and asking the NDA government to provide proof for the 2016 surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
"Today is November 26... There were Congress governments at the Centre and in Maharashtra and 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai... terrorists killed people and security forces of our country.”
“I want to ask them and Congress that 10-years ago such a big terror attack happened, whole world was shocked and Congress was playing a trick to win the elections from that," Modi during an election rally in Rajasthan.
Modi also attacked Congress for preaching patriotism in 2008 but questioning the BJP on surgical strikes. "The same Congress at that time used to preach patriotism. And when our country's forces did surgical strike in Pakistan, when they took revenge, Congress asked for the evidence and demanded to show the video of the surgical strike," he said.
It’s been ten years since the 2008 #MumbaiTerrorAttack. Honored to be in Mumbai today to join Chief Minister @Dev_Fadnavis and other dignitaries to honor the memory of the victims, including six Americans, and the heroic actions of the Indian security forces. #NeverForgetpic.twitter.com/66iKxX3cFn
Amitabh Bachchan while calling terrorism a parasite said "On this very day, at the same place last year we pledged that we would never give shelter to terror, determined that this parasite called terrorism shall never breed in our homes. Today, we want our dream to be realised, to reawaken to the power of love and of oneness."
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that surveillance in Mumbai has been increased.
“We are on the path of truth. India has never attacked a country because it follows a path of truth. We have increased surveillance in Mumbai to thwart such dastardly acts in the future," he said.
He also said that a zero tolerance policy should be followed towards terrorism.
"The attack killed 166 innocents, including six Americans. We will never let terrorists win, or even come close to winning!" he said.
The president's comments came days after he defended his administration's decision to stop hundreds of millions of dollars in military aid to Pakistan for not doing enough to curb terrorism and criticised Islamabad for offering a hideout to slain al-Qaeda chief bin Laden in the garrison city of Abbottabad.
"We give Pakistan USD 1.3 billion a year... (bin Laden) lived in Pakistan, we're supporting Pakistan, we're giving them USD 1.3 billion a year -- which we don't give them anymore, by the way, I ended it because they don't do anything for us, they don't do a damn thing for us," Trump said.