PM, Sonia, Advani visit
Mumbai injured
Mumbai,
Nov 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Mammohan Singh, Leader of Opposition
L.K. Advani and Congress president Sonia Gandhi flew into
the city Thursday evening to meet those injured in the terror
strikes inn this western metropolis.
The
prime minister, along with Gandhi, visited the J.J. Hospital
in south-central Mumbai to inquire about the condition of
over 50 injured police personnel and foreign tourists who
are admitted there.
The
prime minister's convoy travelled along the D.N. Road, a major
stretch of it leading from Colaba to Crawford Market near
the Mumbai Police headquarters. The road was cordoned off
by the army after Wednesday night's gun battle at the Chattrapati
Shivaji Terminus (VT), apprehending further attacks by the
terrorists.
The
VVIP visits came at a tension-filled time when the security
forces were already stretched, engaged in fierce gunbattles
with terrorists hiding in two luxury hotels and a multi-storey
building.
Advani
visited the iconic Taj Mahal Palace and Tower Hotel soon after
landing in the city. His visit came when the National Security
Guards were battling it out inside the hotel for a final assault
on the terrorists holed up inside the hotel and to bring about
39 guests held hostage out safely.
The
security forces have also laid seige at the Oberoi Trident
Hotel and the Nariman Bhavan, where terrorists have held many
people, including some Israeli nationals, hostage.
"The
visit by politicians has put extra pressure on police personnel
as they have been out on the street for the last nearly 24
hours since Wednesday night, providing support to the NSG,
army and the Rapid Action Force in the operations at three
key points in the city," a retired police official said.
According
to him, as many as 2,000 police personnel are required to
give security cover to the prime minister alone, and many
of them were deployed at strategic points along the route
of his visit from the airport.
Some
were upset with the speech by Advani, who while addressing
the media at the Taj, gave a political speech by blaming the
central and state governments for intelligence failure.
Talking
to the media, the state BJP chief and Leader of Opposition
in the state assembly, Nitin Gadkari, defended Advani and
said that the BJP prime ministerial candidate had come to
Mumbai only to give a morale booster to the city's stressed
citizens at a crucial time.
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