Recalling his ordeal inside the Taj during the November 26 Mumbai carnage, CPM MP N N Krishnadas on Friday said had it not been for the presence of NSG commandos, he would not have survived on that fateful day. "It is NSG and not god that saved us," Krishnadas, who was stuck inside the Taj along with four other MPs, said when asked whether he would be thankful to god for his survival. The veteran Communist leader was inside the hotel on November 26 night for a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on Subordinate Legislation, of which he is the chairman. "We were having dinner at the 'Shamiana' when the attack took place. The hotel staff took us through a narrow staircase to the first floor lobby. We remained there for the whole night and the next morning the NSG arrived," Krishnadas said. There were about 200 people in the lobby when security forces launched the rescue mission. "We were all witness to the gun fights, blasts and the fire that took place the whole night inside the hotel. It was only when the commandos arrived, we felt secure," he said. On the question of delay in the rescue operation, he said, "NSG has to come from Delhi. And then, our security forces were not familiar with the hotel's layout plan while terrorists seem to be well acquainted with the place. That could be the obstacle in its security operation," the MP said. He demanded that there should be NSG hubs in every major cities and state police should also be trained in commando operation.
