Panel chairperson Radha Mohan Das Agarwal
NEW DELHI: The parliamentary standing committee on home affairs, declined to take up discussion of the deadly car explosion near Red Fort Metro Station in its Wednesday meeting, news agency PTI reported citing sources.The blast which claimed lives of 12 people has raised sharp questions about intelligence failure, the MP said, yet no suo motu statement was allowed by the chairperson, Radha Mohan Das Agarwal.
A member present in the meeting said a parliamentarian from All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) raised the issue of the blast and associated security lapses in Delhi, but the chairperson “refused to take up the discussion, and also did not allow any suo motu statements on the issue.”The meeting had “disaster management” listed on the agenda and featured appearances by officials of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the directorate general fire services, civil defence & home guards. The source said the blast issue was raised in this context but was not taken up.On Monday evening, a powerful explosion ripped through a slow-moving vehicle at a traffic signal near the Red Fort in Delhi, claiming the lives of 12 people and leaving many injured. The incident triggered heightened security alerts in the capital and across country.The refusal of the parliamentary panel to permit discussion or allow statements on the blast comes amid political pressure with opposition parties demanding a speedy, independent inquiry. They have also questioned the government’s handling of internal security at the heart of the national capital.
