Need strong police force to prevent terror attacks: Uddhav Thackeray

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday paid tributes to the martyrs of the 2611 Mumbai terror attack on its 12th anniversary and said the police force needs to be so strong that terrorists do not dare to attack the state or its capital citySpeaking at the Maharashtra Police headquarters here after paying floral tributes to the martyrs Thackeray said though the state is facing a financial crisis his government will take every step to strengthen the police forceEarlier Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray also paid respects to the martyrs who died fighting terrorists during the attack on November 26 2008 at the newlybuilt memorial at the police headquarters in south MumbaiWives of some of the personnel killed in the 2611 attack inaugurated the martyrs gallery at the state police headquarters hereOn the occasion Thackeray released of coffee table book titled True Grit on the Maharashtra Polices work during COVID19 pandemicWe should make our force so strong that the idea of attack on Maharashtra and Mumbai does not come into the mind of terrorists they should not dare to attack the state and Mumbai If any terrorist comes forward he should be killed on the spot he saidWe woke up about strengthening the police force after the 2611 terror attack As we made necessary arrangements for health facilities after COVID19 outbreak we can also work to strengthen our police force he saidThackeray remembered the day of the attack in 2008 when he was on a tour of Dhule and Nashik for poll ralliesAfter getting information about the attack I had called police inspector Vijay Salaskar and he said he had just reached home and was again rushing to the spot he recalledI then made twothree calls to him When he picked up the call Salaskar said he was in front of the Taj Mahal Hotel and that the police force will enter it after a survey the chief minister saidSalaskar was later killed while fighting with the terroristsLater I made various calls to Salakar and till this day he hasnt picked up the call the CM said on an emotional noteWhen I reached Nashik I got the shocking news which I could not have imagined he said adding that the scars of the deadly attack are irreparablePeople should be aware of what conditions police personnel are working in what is the meaning of police what is their life he said adding the concept of martyrs gallery should also be extended to other major cities of the stateOn the occasion state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said the 2611 terror attack was a national crisisThe black face of the neighboring country Pakistan came to light after the police caught one of the terrorists Ajmal Kasab alive he addedAt least 797 Maharashtra Police personnel have died in various operations including Naxal attacks terror attacks communal riots and other official duties from 1965 to 2020 according to the state policeThe 12th anniversary of the deadly terror attack was attended by a limited number of people in the wake of the COVID19 pandemicFamily members of some of the martyred police personnel also paid tributes at the memorialDuring the ceremony the governor chief minister and the home minister met family members of some martyrsTheir sacrifice will never be erased from the memory of time and history Today we pay tribute to our saviours 2611Attack 2611Martyrs Mumbai Police tweetedRemembering their personnel killed in the attack the Maharashtra Police in a tweet said A tribute to the ones who sacrificed their lives to safeguard the restSaluting the bravehearts whose sacrifice still ignites the spirits of millions 2611Attack 2611Martyrs SalutingMartyrs Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh tweetedNCP chief Sharad Pawar also paid tributes to the policemen and other security personnel who laid their lives during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack and called for a resolve to intensify the fight against terrorismTributes to martyrs from the police and other security forces who laid their lives in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack As we condole with the families who lost their near ones in the attack we should also resolve to intensify our fight against terrorism the former Union minister tweetedOn November 26 2008 10 LashkareTaiba terrorists from Pakistan arrived by sea route and opened fire killing 166 people including 18 security personnel and injuring several others during the 60hour siege in MumbaiThe then AntiTerrorism Squad ATS chief Hemant Karkare Army Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan Mumbais Additional Police Commissioner Ashok Kamte Senior Police Inspector Vijay Salaskar and Assistant SubInspector ASI Tukaram Omble were among those killed in the attackThe Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus the Oberoi Trident the Taj Mahal Hotel Leopold Cafe Cama Hospital and the Nariman House Jewish community centre now renamed Nariman Light House were some of the places targeted by terroristsNine terrorists were later killed by the security forces including the NSG the countrys elite commando forceAjmal Kasab was the only terrorist who was captured alive He was hanged four years later on November 21 2012Keep scrolling to read more newsCatch up on all the latest Crime National International and Hatke news here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest newsThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever