Two days after a powerful explosion near the Red Fort in Delhi killed nine people and left over a dozen injured, Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a high-level security meeting at his residence on Wednesday evening. Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh arrived at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg, where the Prime Minister is chairing the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) meeting to assess the situation.
Shortly after returning from a two-day visit to Bhutan, Prime Minister Modi drove directly from the airport to the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan (LNJP) Hospital in central Delhi to meet those injured in Monday's explosion.
In a post on social media, Mr Modi said, "Went to LNJP Hospital and met those injured during the blast in Delhi. Praying for everyone's quick recovery. Those behind the conspiracy will be brought to justice!"
At the hospital, the Prime Minister was briefed by doctors and security officials on the condition of the victims.
The blast took place near the Lal Quila Metro Station on Monday evening when a Hyundai i20 car exploded in slow-moving traffic. The explosion killed at least nine people and injured nearly two dozen others.
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Home Affairs handed over the investigation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), citing evidence of a terror plot. The NIA has since formed a team headed by senior officers of Superintendent of Police rank and above.
According to sources, a Jaish-e-Mohammed-backed module had planned a series of coordinated attacks across Delhi, Gurugram, and Faridabad, inspired by the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes of 2008.
The suspects allegedly prepared nearly 200 Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) for large-scale use. Their targets reportedly included prominent sites such as the Red Fort, India Gate, the Constitution Club, the Gauri Shankar Temple, major railway stations, and shopping malls across India.
Officials say the group's intention was to spark communal unrest by targeting religious and public landmarks.
