Thrissur: Union Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi on Tuesday described the explosion that rocked the national capital as “a wound on the nation’s integrity”, calling for calm and unity amid growing concern over the “terror attack”.
Speaking to the media here, the minister said the blast must be seen as an attempt to disrupt peace, secularism, and the country’s social harmony.
“Even in a nation where secularism and love prevail, there are attempts to destroy that harmony. Citizens must exercise restraint and not allow discord to spread. Instead, we should strengthen our brotherhood and stand united,” he said.
He assured that the central government’s investigation would be uncompromising, extending to everyone involved in the incident, from the direct perpetrators to those supporting or sheltering them.
“The investigation will reach every person and force behind this act, wherever they may be. There will be strict action,” Gopi asserted.
The minister said the explosions, though they took place far from Kerala, could not be viewed as a distant tragedy.
“People are yet to recover from the shock and fear caused by the blast,” he added, declining to comment on Kerala’s political matters, stating that “this is not the right moment”.
The Delhi Police, meanwhile, confirmed that the investigation is being conducted under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), treating the incident as a terror strike. CCTV footage shows a white Hyundai i20 car, registered in Haryana (HR 26 CE 7674), parked near the Sunehri Masjid close to the Red Fort for over three hours before the blast at 6.52 p.m.
The visuals reveal the car entering the area at 3.19 p.m. and leaving at 6.48 p.m., moments before the explosion.
The driver’s face is visible initially, though later footage shows another individual with a covered face behind the wheel. Delhi Police said the car had entered the city through the Badalpur border, and its subsequent route remains under investigation.
(IANS)
