Cabinet terms November 10 Red Fort blast 'a heinous terror incident'

The Union Cabinet condemned the Red Fort explosion as a heinous terror act, directing agencies to act with urgency to identify and bring perpetrators and their sponsors to justice

A meeting of the Union Cabinet on Wednesday evening, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired, passed a resolution terming the car explosion near Red Fort on Monday evening “a heinous terror incident” that was “perpetrated by anti-national forces.”

 

It directed the investigating agencies to pursue the case with “utmost urgency and professionalism.” They have been told to identify the perpetrators, their collaborators, sponsors and bring them to justice without delay.

 

The situation continues to be closely monitored at the highest levels of the government, it said.

 

The Cabinet termed the car explosion as a “senseless act of violence,” and the resolution stated that the Cabinet “unequivocally condemns” the “dastardly and cowardly act that has led to the loss of innocent lives”.

 

It reiterated “India's unwavering commitment to a policy of zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.”

 

Until Wednesday evening, the government had termed the incident, in which over a dozen were killed and several injured, as a car explosion. At the start of the meeting, the Cabinet observed two minutes' silence in honour of the innocent lives lost.

 

When asked whether there was evidence of any Pakistan-based terror outfit behind Monday’s terror attack, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw replied that the resolution has explicitly referred to the blast as a “heinous terror attack.”

 

The resolution that the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting passed in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22 had noted the “cross-border linkages of the terrorist attack.” It adopted a five-pronged response, including putting the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance with immediate effect.

 

The minister was also asked whether the Cabinet discussed if the Red Fort attack is to be construed as an act of war, and whether it discussed Operation Sindoor, which the government maintained has only been paused.

 

To these questions, the minister again drew the attention to the resolution. He was also asked whether the bomb blast was perpetrated by a terror module within India. “That is your interpretation. Please refer to the resolution,” Vaishnaw said.  

 

The resolution noted that the Cabinet paid its respects to the victims of this senseless act of violence. It appreciated the prompt efforts of the medical personnel and emergency responders, the timely and coordinated response of the authorities, security agencies, and citizens who acted with courage and compassion in the face of adversity.

 

It also recorded its appreciation for the statements of solidarity and support from many governments around the world.

 

Earlier in the day, immediately after landing in the national capital from his Bhutan visit, the PM visited LNJP Hospital and met the survivors of the blast, saying the perpetrators will be brought to justice. The prime minister was in the hospital for nearly 25 minutes.

 

“Went to LNJP Hospital and met those injured during the blast in Delhi. Praying for everyone's quick recovery. Those behind the conspiracy will be brought to justice!" Modi said in a post on X.

 

On Monday, hours after police busted the terror module with links to proscribed Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, and arrested eight people, including three doctors, a high-intensity blast ripped through a slow-moving car outside Delhi's Red Fort area, claiming the lives of 12 people.

 

Around 2,500 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, potassium chlorate and sulphur were seized after police busted the terror module, which spanned Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.

 

The police FIR has described the incident as a "bomb blast," while forensic experts are now analysing whether the materials recovered from recent seizures match the chemical signature of the Red Fort explosion.