26/11 attack: PM Modi salutes martyrs; Jaitley slams Pak for Saeed release

Modi said that terrorism had taken an ugly shape

Terrorism has become a constant global threat and humanitarian forced will have to fight unitedly to defeat it, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday as the country paid tributes to those who sacrificed their lives during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.

Yesterday was the ninth anniversary of the gory attack, carried out by 10 terrorists from Pakistan over three days, that left 166 people dead.

Recalling the sacrifices of brave citizens, Modi, in his radio address 'Mann ki Baat', said that even a few years ago, when India talked about the threats of terrorism, not many in the world were ready to take it seriously.

"Now that terrorism is knocking at their doors, every government in the world, those who believe in humanity, governments with faith in democracy, are seeing this as one of the biggest challenges," he said.

He said that terrorism had taken an ugly shape and had become a global threat "almost as a daily routine".

"Terrorism has challenged humanity. It is bent upon destroying humanitarian forces. So not only India but all humanitarian forces will have to keep fighting unitedly to defeat the menace of terrorism," he said.

Modi said that while November 26 was observed as Constitution Day, the nation could not forget that on this day nine years ago, terrorists launched attacks across Mumbai.

"The country remembers and bows to those brave citizens, policemen, security men and each one who lost their lives then. This country can never forget their sacrifice," he said.

Jaitley slams Pakistan

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday snubbed Pakistan for supporting terrorism.

"Those who carried out the Mumbai terror attack nine years ago have been left isolated in the world... The whole world is saying that a nation which supports terrorism has no place in the world," Jaitley said here ahead of the Gujarat Assembly elections.

He said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir had improved. "Today, the situation is such that whoever becomes the commander of Lashkar knows he will not survive more than two-three months."

Union Minister Arun Jaitley said on Sunday that terror accused Hafiz Saeed’s release from house arrest in Pakistan had left Islamabad with “no place” in the global community.

Saeed, who is seen as being responsible for the Mumbai attacks in November 2008 in which 165 people died, was placed under house arrest in Pakistan in January. He was released on Friday, two days before the ninth anniversary of the attacks.

“If they have released [alleged 26/11 attacks mastermind] Saeed two days before the attacks’ anniversary, then the entire world is united in saying that a country that supports terror has no place in the global community,” Jaitley was quoted as saying by ANI. He was speaking in Surat in the poll-bound Gujarat.