AAP MP seeks judicial inquiry into Red Fort blast; BJP ex-MP blames Pak

Member of Parliament Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal, along with Aam Aadmi Party's Punjab spokesperson and Phagwara constituency in-charge Harnoor Singh (Harji) Maan, on Wednesday strongly condemned the bomb blast outside Delhi's historic Red Fort, terming it a "barbaric and condemnable act against humanity" and a "massive failure of national security".

Dr Chabbewal and Maan conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured in the explosion. They urged the Central government to immediately initiate a judicial inquiry into the incident to identify the causes of the security breach. Dr Chabbewal said that the incident has once again exposed the glaring lapses in the country's internal security system.

Drawing parallels with past incidents, Maan referred to the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir earlier this year, where 27 tourists lost their lives despite prior intelligence warnings and ongoing military operations.

He also pointed out the timing of the blast, which came just ahead of the second phase of polling in the Bihar Assembly elections. "It is alarming that such terror incidents seem to coincide with major elections - just like the Pulwama attack before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls," Maan remarked, suggesting that the sequence of events raises serious suspicions.

Meanwhile, former BJP MP Avinash Rai Khanna also on Wednesday expressed deep grief over the blast that occurred near Delhi's Red Fort Metro Station on Monday evening, claiming innocent lives and leaving several others injured. Khanna stressed that it was time for citizens to stand united and support the Government of India in its fight against terrorism. He also alleged that terror links behind almost every major attack in India can be traced back to Pakistan and expressed the hope for a swift and decisive response from the government.