The Modi government has blamed “anti-national forces” for the deadly Red Fort explosion and condemned the “dastardly and cowardly act”
India has officially condemned Monday’s Red Fort blast in Delhi that left 13 dead and more than 20 injured as a “heinous terror attack.”
A resolution passed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s cabinet on Wednesday said the act was carried out by “anti-national forces.” It denounced the “dastardly and cowardly act” and reiterated the country’s policy of “zero tolerance towards terrorism in all its forms.”
The cabinet also directed security agencies to probe the incident with “utmost urgency” to identify and bring “perpetrators, their collaborators, and their sponsors” to justice.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio backed up India’s assessment, stating, “it was clearly a terrorist attack, a car loaded with highly explosive materials that detonated and killed many people.”
Rubio lauded India’s professionalism in conducting the probe. “The Indians need to be commended,” he said. “They’ve been very measured, cautious, and professional in how they’re carrying out this ongoing investigation.”
Rubio added that he had spoken with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and offered help.
Russia has also expressed extreme alarm at the incident, and urged the solidarity of the international community in effectively countering the threat of terrorism.
Tests carried out by security agencies on samples found from the car that exploded near the Red Fort matched with DNA samples of Umar Mohammad, a senior doctor at the Al Falah University in nearby Faridabad, NDTV reported.
A terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir in April, which killed 26 people and led to a limited conflict between India and Pakistan, has escalated tensions between the neighboring South Asian countries. New Delhi has not yet blamed Islamabad for Monday’s attack.
