Osama's death prompts India's call for Mumbai attack perpetrators

NEW DELHI: NEW DELHI: Putting aside recent bonhomie, India’s reaction to the killing of Osama Bin Laden was: give us the perpetrators of the Mumbai attack.

A statement issued by Home Minister P Chidambaram said:

“We take note with grave concern that part of the statement in which President Obama said that the fire fight in which Osama Bin Laden was killed took place in Abbotabad “deep inside Pakistan”. This fact underlines our concern that terrorists belonging to different organisations find sanctuary in Pakistan.

We believe that the perpetrators of the Mumbai terror attack, including the controllers and handlers of the terrorists who actually carried out the attack, continue to be sheltered in Pakistan.

We once again call upon the Government of Pakistan to arrest the persons whose names have been handed over to the Interior Minister of Pakistan as well as provide voice samples of certain persons who are suspected to be among the controllers and handlers of the terrorists.”

Foreign Minister SM Krishna repeated the same sentiments, indicating India was going to demand even more loudly that Pakistan hand over the planners and handlers of Ajmal Kasab and his team.

Terming bin Laden’s killing as the “victorious milestone” in the global war against terrorism, Krishna said the world “must not let down” its united effort to eliminate the safe havens that have been provided to terrorists in its neighbourhood.

“President (Barack) Obama of the US has just announced that his government has conducted a successful operation that has resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden deep inside Pakistan.

Asserting that the struggle must continue “unabated”, Krishna said, “The world must not let down its united effort to overcome terrorism and eliminate the safe havens and sanctuaries that have been provided to terrorists in our own neighbourhood.”