Srinagar blast extremely tragic: Kejriwal questions govt on security lapses

Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday expressed deep grief over the late-night explosion at a police station in Srinagar, calling the incident "extremely tragic and worrying." Several police personnel were reported killed, while others sustained injuries in the blast, which triggered fresh concerns over internal security.

In a post shared on X, Kejriwal said, "The news of the bomb blast at a police station in Srinagar late at night is extremely saddening and alarming. Several brave police personnel have been martyred, and many are injured. May the Almighty give strength to the families of the martyrs to bear this unbearable sorrow and grant a speedy recovery to the injured. My condolences are with the families of the victims."

He said the country was still recovering from the shock of the recent blast in Delhi when another explosion shook the nation. "The echo of the Delhi blast had not even subsided, and once again the country has been shaken by an explosion," he said.

Raising pointed questions over the handling of security, Kejriwal criticised the Centre and its agencies, seeking accountability from the Union Home Ministry. "It is important to ask the government what exactly is happening in the country? What are the government, security agencies, intelligence systems, and the Home Minister doing?" he asked.

He alleged that such incidents pointed to serious lapses in preparedness and coordination. "How and why has such a big compromise with national security been allowed to happen?" he said, demanding that the Centre present a clear explanation to the public.

Kejriwal added that maintaining internal security was a fundamental duty of the government and that repeated incidents of violence eroded public confidence. "The country wants answers," he said.

Meanwhile, at least nine people have died and several others were injured after a deadly blast occurred near the premises of Nowgam police station in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night, police said.

Security has been tightened across sensitive zones, and additional teams have been deployed as precautionary measures.

Soon after the explosion, Inspector General (IG) of the CRPF Pawan Kumar Sharma rushed to the site to oversee relief operations and assess the security measures.

Notably, the threads of the November 10 Delhi blast are linked to objectionable posters in the Nowgam area of Srinagar, for which an FIR was registered on October 19, sources have said, noting security forces took decisive action to bust an inter-state Jaish-e-Mohammed module linked to the terror plot.

Authorities have urged the public to avoid the area and cooperate with security forces as rescue and inquiry operations continue.