New Delhi: President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were among the leaders who paid tributes to the victims of the 26/11 attacks on the 14th anniversary of the tragic event.
During his Constitution Day address in the Supreme Court, PM Narendra Modi honoured the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, saying: "Today is also the anniversary of Mumbai Terror Attack. 14 years back, when India was celebrating its Constitution and citizens' rights, enemies of humanity carried out biggest terror attack on India. I pay tribute to those who lost their lives in the attack."
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday called for bringing perpetrators of the attack to justice.
He wrote, "Terrorism threatens humanity. Today, on 26/11, the world joins India in remembering its victims. Those who planned and oversaw this attack must be brought to justice. We owe this to every victim of terrorism around the world."
Honouring the security personnel who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty, President Droupadi Murmu said the nation shares the enduring pain of the victims' loved ones and families.
"The country had lost its innocent citizens in the Mumbai 26/11 terror attack. Our brave soldiers made their supreme sacrifice while protecting everyone. Humble tribute to all! My condolences to all the family members who are living the unbearable pain of losing their loved ones every moment," Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath wrote in a tweet in Hindi.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter and wrote, "Soldiers who have sacrificed everything to protect India are the pride of the country. My humble tribute to the brave soldiers and common citizens who were martyred in the Mumbai 26/11 terror attack. India has always stood fearless against fear and violence, and will continue to be so."
BJP leader and former union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi paid "heartfelt tributes to all the victims and martyrs of 26/11 Mumbai attacks." Congress leader Salman Khurshid also paid his tributes.
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday said that the 26/11 terror attack was "a wound that will never heal," and his government was committed to ensure that such an incident never takes place again.
The 26/11 attacks were a series of 12 coordinated shooting and bombing attacks carried out by 10 Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists. The attacks began on November 26 and lasted until November 29, 2008. A total of 166 people, including several foreign nationals, died and more than 300 were wounded. The attacks drew widespread global condemnation.
Nine Pakistani terrorists were killed by the Indian security forces. Ajmal Kasab was the only terrorist who was captured alive. He was hanged four years later on November 21, 2012.
India And Israel Stand United In Grief: Ambassador Of Israel To India
"India and Israel stand united in grief but also in fighting terrorism," wrote Naor Gilon, the Ambassador of Israel to India.
The 26/11 attack continues to be an emotional moment for a lot of Israelis who feel that the Mumbai terror strike "is a shared pain" that binds India and Israel together. The attacks claimed the lives of six Jewish victims including Gabriel holtzberg, Rivka Holtzberg, Ariye laiis, Ben Tziyon Hermon, Yochevet Orpaz, and Norma Tzwatzblat Rabonovitz
Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who was just two years old when he lost his parents in the 2008 Mumbai attack, has called upon the international community to look for ways to counter terror so that "nobody has to go through what he has gone through", news agency PTI reported.
'Baby Moshe', the youngest survivor of the Mumbai 26/11 attacks whose pictures with his Indian nanny Sandra holding him close to her chest in the besieged Nariman House - also known as Chabad House - caught worldwide attention He lost both his parents Rabbi Gabriel Holtzberg and Rivka Holztberg in the terror strike carried out by the LeT terrorists.
(With Agency Inputs)