Jaishankar brings 26/11 witness to Rubio at Taj memorial

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar introduced US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to Taj Hotel security chief Sunil Kudyadi in Mumbai on October 20, giving the visiting American official an account of the 26/11 attacks from a man who helped rescuers inside the besieged hotel. According to India Today, the exchange followed Rubio’s wreath-laying at the memorial to the victims of the 2008 attacks.

Rubio, on a three-day visit to India, asked how the attackers entered the building. Kudyadi described their movement through the kitchen towards the sixth floor, while Jaishankar pointed out that people had been killed in the kitchen. The Taj siege lasted nearly 60 hours.

The security chief who helped rescuers navigate the Taj

Kudyadi was inside the hotel when the attack unfolded. The report describes how, despite being unarmed, he used his knowledge of the property’s complicated layout to guide police and commandos, including personnel from the Indian Navy’s MARCOS force.

He reportedly remained inside throughout the siege, helping rescue efforts amid gunfire and explosions. Former Union Home Secretary Ram Pradhan, who headed a committee investigating the attacks, recognised Kudyadi’s contribution and noted the difficulties security personnel would have faced without his guidance.

The Taj Mahal Palace was among the principal targets of the Lashkar-e-Taiba assault on Mumbai that began on November 26, 2008. The attacks killed 166 people, including six Americans. At the Taj, guests and staff were trapped as four armed attackers moved through the building.

Jaishankar sets out India’s counterterrorism expectation

The encounter came against the backdrop of the Trump administration’s efforts to strengthen commercial and strategic engagement with Pakistan. At a US event marking the 250th anniversary of American independence, Jaishankar made India’s position explicit: “We expect our partners to show zero tolerance for terrorism.” He also asserted India’s right to defend itself against terrorist violence.

The memorial visit brought the human cost of the Mumbai attacks into the diplomatic exchange. The report does not establish that Kudyadi’s briefing prompted any change in Washington’s policy towards Pakistan.

Rubio argues engagement can give Washington influence

In a subsequent News18 interview cited in the report, Rubio defended maintaining relations with Pakistan, pointing to its nuclear weapons and geographical importance. He argued that communication with Islamabad could put Washington in a better position to discourage actions that concern India.

Rubio presented those ties as a practical foreign-policy requirement rather than an absence of disagreements. He also stated opposition to terrorism and to those who sponsor it. His remarks set out Washington’s rationale for engagement; they did not demonstrate that it had secured specific counterterrorism commitments from Pakistan.