Mumbai:
In a bizarre homage to the lives lost in 26/11, specially-designed mugs were being given away to foreign tourists at Leopold's Café in Mumbai. The mugs have been withdrawn on Tuesday evening.
The gesture, bound to offend many, is especially baffling because Leopold's, across the road from the Colaba police station, was one of the four places attacked by Pakistani terrorists during Mumbai's 26/11 attacks.
The mugs were designed to look like they had the imprint of a bullet and a blood stain along with stylized captions reading "NSG/ VICTIMS / POLICE OFFICERS". They were being handed out to patrons as souvenirs. The Management of Leopold's says they took their cue from New York restaurants which gave special badges to visitors after 9/11.
On 26/11 last year, just before ten pm, two terrorists opened fire with their AK47s. Bullets mixed with a hand grenade showered the café. Two staff members and six patrons were killed.
Leopold's reopened five days later, the management determined to prove that like its city, the cafe would fight back.