Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has vowed to bring to justice all those responsible for the New Delhi car explosion that killed at least eight people and injured several others on Nov. 10.
The prime minister said on Nov. 11 that the incident, which happened near the historic Red Fort in the Old Delhi area, had “deeply disturbed everyone.”
Modi told a public meeting in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan: “Our agencies will get to the very bottom of this conspiracy. The conspirators behind this will not be spared. All those responsible will be brought to justice.”
Modi is in the Himalayan nation for the 70th birthday celebrations of Bhutan’s fourth king, Jigme Singye Wangchuck.
In the aftermath of the blast, Modi said in a Nov. 10 post on social media: “Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones in the blast in Delhi earlier this evening. May the injured recover at the earliest. Those affected are being assisted by authorities.”
Indian Home Minister Amit Shah said in a Nov. 11 post on X that he had chaired meetings with senior officials to discuss the car blast.
Shah said he instructed officials “to hunt down each and every culprit behind this incident. Everyone involved in this act will face the full wrath of our agencies.”
Investigations in Progress
Delhi police spokesman Sanjay Tyagi said on Nov. 11 that no arrests have been made, but investigators were “probing all possible angles, including a terror attack, an accidental blast or any kind of failure in car.”
“Teams are working on leads available so far. Final shape of the investigation will be decided after the forensic team gives a final report on use of any explosives,” he said.
India’s deputy commissioner of police, Raja Banthia, said the incident was being investigated under anti-terrorism legislation and other laws.
Banthia told reporters, “Investigation is at a preliminary stage and any comment on it will be too premature.”
The Red Fort, popularly known as Lal Qila, is a former imperial palace dating back to the 17th-century Mughal era. It is a major tourist attraction in the Old Delhi part of the city and is about 5 miles from the Parliament of India.
India’s prime ministers address the nation from the Red Fort’s ramparts every August 15, the country’s Independence Day.
Massacre in Kashmir
Earlier this year, Modi cut short a trip to Saudi Arabia after terrorists killed 26 tourists and wounded dozens of others at a resort in Indian-controlled Kashmir on April 22.
New Delhi blamed Islamabad for the attack, alleging that Pakistan was supporting the terrorists who had conducted the attack in Baisaran meadow, three miles from the resort town of Pahalgam. Pakistan denied any responsibility for the attack.
The incident sparked a conflict between the two nuclear-armed rivals, but a full-on confrontation was averted with the help of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Pakistan and India agreed to the terms of a U.S.-mediated cease-fire on May 10, following three days of cross-border shelling, drone attacks, and missile strikes.
The successful efforts at mediation prompted Islamabad to nominate Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. The Pakistani government’s statement said Trump showed “decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India–Pakistan crisis.”
The nominations for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize closed in January, so Pakistan’s citation would be for next year’s prize.
Reuters, The Associated Press, and Chris Summers contributed to this report.
