BJP welcomes Shivraj Patil's resignation

New Delhi/ Jammu, Nov 30 : Home Minister Shivraj Patil submitted his resignation over the Mumbai terror attacks that killed nearly 200 people while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomes the move and accuses the Congress of 'collective culpable negligence'.

Terrorists armed with rifles and grenades -- at least some of whom arrived by sea -- had fanned out across Mumbai on Wednesday night.

Gunfire and explosions rocked two luxury hotels and a Jewish centre leaving at least 195 people killed and 295 wounded after nearly a three-day long siege.

Widely criticised after a series of earlier bombings in different cities, Patil resigned the day after the commandos ended a three-day rampage in Mumbai, which killed nearly 200 people and triggered anger across the country.

The Congress-party government was blamed for the loopholes that allowed the heavily armed attackers to come across the seas to land in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said the resignation has come little too late and that the Manmohan Singh headed Congress led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) has no right to remain in power.

"The resignation of Shivraj Patil, the BJP treats it that it's a collective culpable negligence of the Union Government. The responsibility of the Union government is collective and the government has no right to continue. Henceforth the resignation of Shivraj Patil is too little and too late. This resignation also indicates BJP's stand that this government, the UPA government headed by Manmohan Singh is dysfunctional," said Rudy.

Congress has been under fire from the BJP over national security ahead of the general elections.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said India should adopt a tougher stand against the acts of terrorism and shed its soft stand.

"We must follow the example of what United States did after 9/11, we are more vulnerable than them and therefore we must be a tough state and not a soft state. Our international network, our security response, other legal framework, all needs an overhaul and all need a strengthening. When all of them see the political establishment as weak on them, each one of them collapses that's where the basic change is required," said Jaitley.

The attacks struck at the heart of Mumbai, the engine room of an economic boom that has made India a favourite emerging market.

Acting in small groups these militants indiscriminately shot people and within a short span of time left the metropolis bleeding.

Those dead included chairman of a multi national bank, sister and brother-in-law of a Bollywood actor, food critic and journalist of a leading national daily.

Mumbai was hit by serial bomb blasts in 1993 that killed at least 260 people at the stock exchange and other landmarks. Two years ago, more than 180 people died when the militants bombed commuter trains in Mumbai.

ANI