New Delhi: Members of Parliament cutting across party lines had spoken in one voice on tackling terror calling it a war on India during the debate on Mumbai attack on Thursday in the House.
But just three days after showing a rare unity on the Mumbai terror attack and just two weeks after the Mumbai siege got over, only 10 MPs turned up in to pay homage to the martyrs of the December 13 Parliament attack of 2001.
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Leader of Opposition and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader LK Advani, Chairperson of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and Congress President Sonia Gandhi and just a few other leaders of political parties offered floral tributes.
The widow and son of Ghanshyam Singh of Delhi Police were among others who offered flowers at the plaque put up on the spot of the encounter with the terrorists on December 13, 2001.
Advani later said that the Mumbai mayhem was not a solitary incident but part of a war unleashed by terrorists two decades back. "The government must give a befitting reply to such attacks," demanded Advani.
He said the entire world was looking forward to India to see how the resolution to fight terrorism recently adopted unanimously in Parliament was being implemented.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha had on Friday paid tributes to the martyrs and recalled the supreme sacrifice by the security personnel in foiling the attempt of the terrorists.
Five security personnel of Delhi Police, one woman constable of the Central Reserve Police Force and two security assistants of Parliament Watch and Ward section had died preventing the entry of terrorists into Parliament House. A gardener and a photojournalist, too, lost their lives.
The families of those killed in the attack have been protesting for some time that the various promises made to them have not been kept by different governments.
Congress Spokesperson Manish Tewari has called the low turnout of MPs at Parliament on Saturday inexcusable.
"It is completely inexcusable, especially at a time like this when a strong message of solidarity is needed to go out to all those people who sacrificed their life in the defence of the nation. Such a low turnout is disappointing and I will not make excuses on behalf of anybody," he said.
Meanwhile, BJP Spokesperson Prakash Javadekar stated that all the MPs were paying homage to the martyrs in their respective constituencies.
"They are all paying homage in their constituencies and they are not having fun. They are either paying homage in the constituency or working on educations on various aspects of terror it needs to be seen in proper perspective," Javadekar said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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