Indian home minister, security advisor resign over Mumbai attacks

New Delhi: Maharashtra state chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said on Monday he has offered to resign over the deadly attacks in Mumbai.

Deshmukh said he was waiting for party leaders to make a final decision.

On Sunday, Federal Home Minister Shivraj Patil resigned along with National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan.

Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram was appointed to take over Patil's job and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will take over the finance portfolio for now, the government said.

The fallout from a three-day rampage that killed 174 people in Mumbai forced India to raise security to a "war level".

Newspaper commentaries blasted politicians for failing to prevent the attacks and for taking advantage of its fallout before voting in Delhi on Saturday and national polls due by May.

Prime Minister Singh called a rare meeting of leaders from the country's main political parties to discuss the situation on Sunday.

He added that authorities were strengthening maritime and air security and looking to create a new federal investigative agency. The attackers are believed to have landed in Mumbai by boat.

Indian officials have said most, if not all, of the 10 attackers who held Mumbai hostage with frenzied attacks using assault rifles and grenades came from Pakistan.

Pakistan's ambassador to the US, Husain Haqqani, reiterated in an interview broadcast on ABC on Sunday that Pakistan stands ready to support India.

"Pakistan is a victim of terrorism. India is a victim of terrorism. The victims need to get together. Forget about our bitter history," he said.