STATEMENT

CPI(ML) Statement on Mumbai Terror Strike

The terror strike last night on Mumbai's most prominent landmark locations including luxury hotels and the biggest and busiest railway station in the city has already claimed more than 100 lives. Those killed in the terror strikes include as many as 16 policemen including ATS Chief Hemant Karkare who was heading the probe into Malegaon blasts and several foreign citizens. The CPI(ML) strongly condemns the attacks and offers deep condolences to the families of all those killed. We hope the hostages are rescued without any further loss.
The Mumbai attacks have exposed huge chinks in the armour of the intelligence and security agencies of the government. Unlike the bomb blasts experienced in places like Jaipur, Delhi and Guwahati, the Mumbai attacks have been targeted against the city's most prominent luxury hotels like the Taj Mumbai and Oberoi Trident, quite similar to the attack on Islamabad's Marriott hotel two months ago. The failure of the government to provide security even in such select high-security high-profile locations points to a serious crisis of internal security. The entire lapse needs to be probed most thoroughly, and the central government must immediately set up a high level judicial inquiry headed by a sitting Supreme Court judge.
At this hour of grave insecurity and grief, it is particularly important to maintain the unity and determination of the people and rebuff every attempt to create division and spread terror and panic among the people. The spirit of people's unity and democracy must prevail over the designs of terror and the failure of government machinery.

(Dipankar Bhattacharya)
General Secretary,

CPI(ML)(Liberation)