Red Fort Blast Issue Raised in Parliamentary Panel; Chairperson Declines Discussion: Source
NEW DELHI: The recent blast near the Red Fort was brought up during a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs on Wednesday, but the panel’s Chairperson declined to discuss the matter, a source said.
According to a member present at the meeting, a Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP raised the issue, expressing concern over the alleged intelligence failure that led to the explosion, which claimed 12 lives.
However, Chairperson Radha Mohan Das Agrawal reportedly refused to take up the discussion and did not permit any suo motu statements on the matter.
The meeting of the committee, which had “Disaster Management” as its scheduled agenda, was convened to hear the views of representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and the Directorate General (Fire Services, Civil Defence & Home Guards).
The powerful explosion had ripped through a slow-moving vehicle near the Red Fort traffic signal on Monday evening, leaving 12 dead. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited LNJP Hospital on Wednesday to meet the survivors.
