John McCain in Delhi to show solidarity

NEW DELHI: Influential US Senator John McCain, who unsuccessfully ran for Presidentship, arrived on Tuesday on an unscheduled visit to show solidarity in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks and discussed the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

McCain, the Republican party leader, was on his way to Bangladesh and Bhutan but he made a stopover here in view of the Mumbai strikes, sources said.

Soon after his arrival, he met the Prime Minister during which the terror attacks and aspects related to it were discussed.

McCain was the Republican candidate for US Presidentship but he lost the electoral battle to Democrat nominee Barack Obama.

McCain's brief trip of few hours came a day ahead of the visit of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who has been asked by President George W Bush to cut short her Europe tour and travel to India to discuss the situation arising out of the Mumbai attacks.

The US has demonstrated bipartisan support and solidarity with India in the wake of the strikes for which Pakistan-based terror groups have been blamed.

US President George W Bush as well as President-elect Obama have emphasised repeatedly that Washington stands by India in its fight against terror.

Obama is closely monitoring the situation and is keeping in touch with Rice over the issue.

The US has asked Pakistan to extend "absolute" and "transparent" cooperation to India in the investigations and follow the "evidence wherever it leads".