Mallikarjun Kharge
NEW DELHI: Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, accused the central government of security lapses after a car explosion near the Red Fort metro station in Delhi. He said the incident underlines a failure of governance in the national capital.He went on to ask for a swift and thorough probe into the events of the blast. “We have demanded an investigation into the bomb blast. A thorough investigation should be conducted, and punishment should be given accordingly. No leniency should be shown to anyone involved. Whoever is guilty must be punished. People should fear committing such acts. Fear must come through strict punishment,” Kharge said in a statement.
Kharge questioned the capabilities of India’s security apparatus in the capital, adding: “It is unfortunate that such incidents are happening in the national capital. You have intelligence agencies, the IB, the CBI, and many other agencies right there. Even with all these agencies, the government has failed. We will speak further once the full investigation report is available. Parliament will begin on December 1. Let’s see and discuss it then.” The explosion took place on Monday evening when a slow-moving vehicle, a Hyundai i20, stopped at a signal near Gate No 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station and subsequently burst into flames. The blast killed at least 12 people and injured many others.The blast triggered a city-wide security alert and mobilisation of specialist agencies including the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the National Security Guard (NSG), along with several other authorities.The government has said that the incident is being investigated from all possible angle, with preliminary reports pointing to a suspected ‘fidayeen’ (suicide bombing) attack. He emphasised that the Congress would closely follow developments and raised expectations of accountability when the next Parliamentary session opens on December 1.With investigations underway into the cause of the explosion – including the vehicle’s origin, how it moved through the National Capital Region, and forensic analysis of the blast site.