Mumbai terror siege is over: What next?

Shivraj Patil, blamed in the past for his ineffectiveness in quelling home-grown militancy and preventing terrorists from infiltrating Indian borders, tendered his resignation today, saying he did not want other "staff and officials to be made scapegoats" and was relieved that a "heavy burden was lifted" off his shoulders. Patil said his resignation was "voluntary" and he was not under pressure from any government quarters.

Patil has come under scathing for his "inept" handling of Mumbai's terror attack, which left at least 29 foreigners, including five Israelis and four Americans, and several top business executives, including Ashok Kapur, the non-executive chairman of private sector lender Yes Bank, dead, with Opposition BJP leaders demanding his resignation. On Saturday, at the Congress Working Committee meeting, which was convened to discuss the Mumbai attacks and evolve a consensus on how to combat terror, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Union Ministers like P. Chidambaram, Kamal Nath, Kapil Sibal and H.R. Bhardwaj have also reportedly expressed their displeasure over the way the counter operation was carried out. Strong action is needed in the wake of the Mumbai terror strikes and accountability has to be ensured at the higher as well as lower levels, they demanded.

Government sources said Patil's resignation has been accepted and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram will take charge of the Home Ministry. However, Chidambaram will no longer hold the charge of the Finance Ministry. It said the prime minister will hold the additional charge of Finance.

Along with Patil, national security adviser, M.K. Narayanan has also quit but his resignation was not accepted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Talks are also going on that Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister R.R. Patil may be next to go. But both the leaders have ruled out quitting. Incidentally, R.R. Patil has been criticized heavily for his insensitive remark which he made on Saturday after commandos and elite NSG forces announced that all the militants were killed. "TSuch small incidents happen in big cities. It is nothing to worry," Patil told reporters on Saturday, little realizing his faux pas.