John McCain visits Delhi, meets PM

Influential United States Senator John McCain, who unsuccessfully ran for President, arrived in New Delhi on Tuesday in an unscheduled visit, to show solidarity in the wake of the 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 Dr Singh and discussed aspects of the terror attacks.

McCain was the Republican presidential candidate 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'.