Chidambaram Named India’s New Home Minister, Replacing Patil

Palaniappan Chidambaram took over as India’s home minister, replacing Shivraj Patil, who resigned yesterday after taking moral responsibility for the worst terrorist attack in the nation in 15 years. The attacks in Mumbai, which began on Nov. 26 at two luxury hotels, a railway terminal and a building housing a Jewish center, ended Nov. 29, leaving 195 people dead. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appointed a new home minister after Patil was criticized by opposition parties and others for intelligence and operational failures, apart from decision- making delays, in tackling this and other terrorist attacks in India. The home minister is responsible for internal security matters, including fighting terrorism, as well as for disaster relief operations, according to the ministry’s Web site.