Editorial: Delhi blast — No room for complacency

The car blast near Red Fort is a grim reminder that the terror ecosystem never truly disappears but mutates into new forms to maintain the surprise element

The car blast near Red Fort in New Delhi, which left 13 people dead and several injured, came as a grim reminder that the terror ecosystem never truly disappears but mutates into new forms to maintain the surprise element. A prolonged lull in terror strikes in the country may have made the authorities complacent. Still, this deadly explosion has shattered the relative calm — the last bombing incident in the national capital took place outside the Delhi court in September 2011. The blast, believed to be part of a transnational terror module allegedly linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), signals that the terrorist footprint is now expanding beyond Kashmir and making inroads in other cities on the back of what is being called a “white-collar” terror network. In recent years, terrorist attacks were confined to Jammu & Kashmir — at Pathankot, Pulwama, and Pahalgam — while the rest of India was considered safe. What is more disturbing about the latest operation is the involvement of professional doctors in planning and coordinating terror attacks. It is no longer valid to say that terrorists come from economically deprived backgrounds or have little education. The blast came just hours after Jammu & Kashmir Police recovered over 350 kg of suspected ammonium nitrate from the Faridabad residence of a doctor as part of an operation that unearthed nearly 3,000 kg of explosives. The seizure and the nature of the blast point to evidence that security agencies may have foiled a much larger plot to stage a bigger attack.

Several questions remain unanswered now. Only a thorough, time-bound probe can help plug the security gaps and also enforce accountability. In such a crucial case with national security implications, there is a need for seamless coordination between the police wings of Delhi and Jammu & Kashmir, the Intelligence Bureau, and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). The alleged Red Fort car bomber, Umar Mohammed, was a medical doctor from Pulwama working at Al-Falah University in Faridabad. In the days leading up to the Delhi blast, three other doctors were arrested for allegedly possessing significant quantities of explosives and weapons. These included Dr Adeel Majeed Rather from Qazigund, reportedly a close aide of Umar’s — both had worked at the Government Medical College, Anantnag. Adeel was arrested for putting up posters supporting Jaish-e-Mohammad in Srinagar. From Al-Falah University itself, Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganai, also from Pulwama, was arrested after 2,900 kg of ammonium nitrate was recovered from his rented accommodation. Dr Shaheen Shahid from Lucknow was detained after assault rifles and ammunition were found in her car. The unearthing of the terror plot comes when the wounds of the Pahalgam terror attack are still fresh. Terrorism and its ever-shifting footprint remain a persistent challenge to India’s growth story. Incidents like these threaten the safety and confidence that are essential for a nation to realise its ambitious goals.

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