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This special report examines the deadly car bomb explosion near Delhi's Red Fort, the busting of a 'white-collar' terror module involving medical doctors, and the implications for India's national security. The discussion, featuring strategic affairs expert Dr. Brahma Chellaney and former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Dr. Kiran Bedi, explores the shift in terror tactics, the role of sleeper cells, and the investigation now with the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Dr. Brahma Chellaney states, 'The latest terror attack is a sobering reminder that the front lines of national security lied not just along India's borders with Pakistan, but also within India's cities.'
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NewsTranscript
00:00I want to quickly cut across to our guests this evening.
00:02Joining me is Dr. Brahma Chalani, strategic affairs expert,
00:06Dr. Kiran Bedi, former IPS officer and former LG.
00:10I also have Ellen Rao, who's the former DCP Delhi.
00:13I want to begin with Mr. Ellen Rao.
00:15Mr. Ellen Rao, you know, there is one side of the story
00:17which seems to suggest that we need to be a little thankful
00:19because this massive terror module was busted
00:22that could have led to multiple series of blasts
00:25plus a cache of arms, maybe, you know,
00:28those guns, which is an AK-47, AK-57 being used.
00:32And we need to be thankful that this was a big, you know,
00:36security win for our agencies.
00:40On the other hand, Mr. Rao, the fact is,
00:42one terror attack is one too many.
00:44Nine innocent lives are lost. How do you read it?
00:47Many would suggest that this is a huge security
00:49and an intelligence failure.
00:52Good evening, ma'am, and good evening to the propelists
00:55and all your viewers.
00:55Definitely, it's a very, very serious incident.
00:59It was yesterday, witnessed by Monday lights.
01:02And thanks to the Jammu Kashmir police,
01:05on the basis of their intelligence,
01:07Faridabad police could recover so much of this huge quantity
01:11of explosives in Faridabad area.
01:13And I think this case is linked with that cell
01:17because the composition of the chemical seems to be like that only.
01:24And the car, which was used in that Haryana number car,
01:27which was used in this blast,
01:30and it was driven by that person
01:32who was seen in that parking area also,
01:36waiting for so many hours.
01:37And then he was seen driving this car.
01:39He was also responsible for this.
01:42And it is stated by the police investigations
01:44that he has been also killed in this case.
01:46So now, this most important question is that
01:50why and how this case was selected?
01:54I think, after this single operation,
01:59that retaliation of Pakistan seems to be the result of this case.
02:04And they may be planning,
02:06their bosses who are controlling these upper ground workers,
02:12UGWs in India,
02:15they definitely, they are planning to blast
02:20at a very important place
02:21that is Red Road to be the historical iconic place
02:25where every year our prime minister
02:29and first thing about Tri-Club
02:32and he is a very,
02:33we celebrate Independence Day from this place.
02:35So it was maybe,
02:37it may be the target of this place
02:38that they should cause such a huge blast at this location.
02:43Now the investigation is handed over by the,
02:45to the NIA
02:48and definitely it should be because
02:49it has many,
02:51I think this case may be having links
02:54with many other states also
02:56in addition to Faridabad,
02:57Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi.
03:00So this is very right step by the government.
03:03All right.
03:03What is also being noted here is that
03:06it's yet to be established
03:08whether or not Red Fort was the main target
03:10or was it an act which was orchestrated
03:12in a sense of panic
03:13after the terror module was busted earlier.
03:17You know, that remains to be investigated
03:19and that information needs to filter in.
03:21Dr. Kiran Bedi, I want to bring you in
03:23and Dr. Brahma Chalani as well.
03:25But Dr. Bedi, for somebody, you know,
03:27who knows Delhi policing at the back of its hand,
03:30many would suggest it's impossible
03:32to actually comb through vehicles
03:34as they are coming in.
03:36How do you read this?
03:37Do you read this as a big intelligence failure?
03:39It's after a very long time.
03:40We've seen the heart of the national capital
03:42being attacked where a terror strike
03:45and a suicide bomb is concerned.
03:47Or do you see that, yes, you know,
03:49we've been able to bust a larger terror module
03:52and, yes, one did get away,
03:53but one needs to count their blessings.
03:55But nine lives have been lost, Dr. Bedi.
03:58I think we've been able to bust a very large disaster.
04:03And that disaster, I think,
04:06was to be spread all over the country.
04:09I think this is the beginning.
04:11And I think we have trapped,
04:12we have caught them by destiny,
04:14by design, by Haryana detection,
04:17by JNK police.
04:18I think we have avoided a disaster.
04:21The point is, I think, I think,
04:24I may be wrong.
04:25This man was transporting this ammunition on his way.
04:29It was not for a Red Fort traffic signal.
04:31He has waited at the Red Fort port.
04:34He has waited.
04:35What is, why has he waited?
04:36Why?
04:37What is he waiting for?
04:39Was he waiting for a signal to reach somewhere?
04:41So I think he is on, was on his way.
04:44Now, what triggered the suicide thing,
04:47if it is suicide?
04:49Or was it a mistake?
04:50I do not know.
04:51But he was on his way.
04:53And with over,
04:55with so much of ammunition back home in his,
04:57in his place,
04:58it was meant for sleeper cells around the country.
05:02I think we have nipped it just perfectly in time.
05:06And answers, different answers,
05:08different questions are different.
05:10But I think this man was not a suicide.
05:14He has, he's got trapped.
05:16I think he's pressed it.
05:18He was transporting, to my mind,
05:20I may be totally wrong,
05:22but he was on his way towards North Delhi and West Delhi.
05:26Towards, for whom?
05:27But maybe for a sleeper cell.
05:29So I think all the,
05:30all the thousands of kilograms they've got
05:33was meant for awakening sleeper cells
05:36around, across the country.
05:38So I think my good thing,
05:40it's a very good, great detection by JNK police,
05:44Haryana police,
05:45and of course, subsequently,
05:47all have played a role in then subsequently.
05:49And I'm glad all agencies are now coming together
05:52because signs of what is happening,
05:54what signs of what this is happening
05:56were indicative of little,
05:58little things around the country
05:59from October post, post-Pahalgan.
06:02It was,
06:03all the little, little signals were always
06:05that they were awakening up
06:07because they could not take that,
06:09and even after Afghanistan improvements
06:11of the country,
06:12what we,
06:13the ROD,
06:14I think it's hurt them.
06:16So this,
06:17this was activated,
06:18and this is a white collar crime
06:20because these doctors
06:21are not supposed to be committing,
06:23be suicide bombers themselves,
06:25but others are.
06:26But I think,
06:27I would think this is a white collar crime,
06:30but happened to be masterminded
06:32by these doctors,
06:33and these doctors were,
06:35were awakening sleeper cells
06:37to huge amount of money,
06:39which they were probably getting.
06:41The real challenge now before this
06:43is to check the ecosystem
06:45because they could not have done it
06:47because,
06:47and I'm,
06:47I'm glad the Honorable Home Minister
06:50has directed them
06:51to demolish,
06:52find out who's the ecosystem
06:53because the ecosystem
06:55is countrywide.
06:57Countrywide.
06:58Those sleeper cells are countrywide.
07:00Therefore,
07:01this investigation will lead
07:03one to the other.
07:04An ecosystem includes,
07:06includes local police
07:07because now,
07:09one hand,
07:10the local police is detected.
07:11On the other hand,
07:12who overlooked this?
07:14Ecosystem includes
07:15the sellers of this,
07:16all this ammunition.
07:17Ecosystem also includes
07:19all the accumulation.
07:21So I think
07:22it's an amazing detector.
07:24We have saved this country
07:25narrowly
07:26by great,
07:26by great detection.
07:28Again,
07:28the credit goes to
07:29JNK
07:30and Haryana police.
07:31But Haryana police
07:32should also now clarify
07:34what allowed it to be accumulated.
07:36accumulated.
07:41Right.
07:42You know,
07:42I'm going to come right back.
07:43I also want to bring in
07:44Dr. Brahma Chalani,
07:45whether he concurs
07:46with your theory or not,
07:47Dr. Bedi.
07:48But right before that,
07:49you know,
07:49I want to just
07:50cut across
07:51to what the Prime Minister said.
07:53The Prime Minister
07:53has been in Bhutan.
07:55He spoke from Thimpu,
07:56where he is
07:57in official capacity,
07:58attending the
07:59birthday celebrations
08:00of the fourth king of Bhutan.
08:02And he made it clear
08:03that
08:04any act of terror
08:06or those,
08:07the perpetrators
08:07behind this,
08:08of course,
08:08he didn't use
08:09the word terror,
08:10but the perpetrators
08:11of what has happened
08:12will be brought to justice.
08:13Listen in to what
08:13the Prime Minister said.
08:14He has
08:43पूरा देश उनके साथ खड़ा है
08:49मैं कल रात भर
08:53इस गटना की जाँच में जुटी सभी एजन्सियों के साथ
08:59सभी महत्पपुन लोगों के साथ
09:03संपर्क में था
09:06विचार में मर्ष चलता था
09:09जानकारियों के तार जोड़े जा रहे थे
09:14हमारी एजन्सियां
09:19इस सभी अंत्र की
09:22तह तक जाएगी
09:26इसके पीछे के सभी अंत्रकारियों को
09:31बक्सा नहीं जाएगा
09:35इसके अंत्रकार्ष चुछ क्वी अंत्रकार रड्रफिसें के साथ
09:42स� exhort
09:43brought to justice.
09:53Especially the usage of English of all those responsible will be brought to justice for
09:59the international community that has been fairly involved ever since Operation Sindhu.
10:04I want to cut across to Dr. Brahmachalani.
10:06Dr. Brahmachalani, if you tie in all the loose ends, if you connect all the dots,
10:10it's rather clear that the footprint of Jaish-e-Mohammed is evident.
10:14The sheer fact that the Prime Minister last time when he said that Operation Sindhu was an ongoing operation,
10:20not just proverbially, but drew that line in the sand saying that any act of terror is an act of war
10:27and from here on terrorists will not be differentiated from state actors,
10:31does put India now in a spot on how India will react and respond.
10:37Let's look at the larger implications of this car explosion.
10:44And I think the Prime Minister's words clearly allude to the larger implications of this blast in Delhi.
10:54As you know that India is located in a very troubled neighborhood.
10:59But India remains a beacon of stability, of democratic vitality and economic dynamism.
11:06It's the only country in South Asia that is stable and economically booming.
11:13This is a testament to its strong institutions.
11:17So when there's a car explosion in Delhi, it attracts wide international media coverage.
11:23I got calls from Australia and from Europe this morning as to what's happening in India.
11:29Because it makes some people wonder whether India is really that stable.
11:34That is why Pakistan's ISI staged the horrific Mumbai attacks in 2008, because Mumbai is the economic capital of India.
11:44And that is also the reason why terrorists carry out this car explosion, right, you know, targeting the national capital region of India.
11:57Clearly, the busting of this terror module and then the car explosion clearly suggest that the aim was to target the national capital region of India.
12:10Because when you have an explosion, a terror attack in Delhi, it attracts wide international attention.
12:21And the latest terror attack is a sobering reminder that the front lines of national security lie not just along India's borders with Pakistan, but also within India's cities.
12:33So the security agencies need to proactively safeguard major cities.
12:39And I think the larger message is that this car explosion is a grim reminder, first, that terrorism remains a life threat to India's internal security.
12:52And two, that despite Operation Sindhu, the infrastructure of cross-border terrorism remains intact.
13:02In fact, it reopens the question as to why we seized Operation Sindhu after just three days of operation, just when the Indian military had gained the upper hand on the battlefield.
13:19The fact is that unless you do not go after the sponsors of terrorism on a continuing basis, they will always look for an opening.
13:28And I think even though a bigger terrorist attack has been averted, still, still the implications of this car explosion are quite adverse to India's image, to India's security, and to India's need.
13:47That's true.
13:50India's need to present itself as a stable, economically booming country.
13:59Right.
14:00Dr. Bedi, I want to bring you in on the point that, you know, Dr. Brahmachalani made.
14:04And this is a point that is echoed by many, because what this blast or this suicide mission yesterday, which was carried out, has bought in is reminiscent of what was witnessed very often during the UPA years.
14:17One thing that this government could pat its back on repeatedly and something that the people always supported the government was on the stability that Dr. Brahmachalani was talking about, a sense of security that this government provided.
14:30It's been, you know, it's been, you know, I don't remember when a blast like that has shook the heart of our country, which is the national capital.
14:37The implication, though, will be that much more grave.
14:42Look, I see a shift in this crime pattern.
14:46It's from borders now to inside the country, because border issues has got contained.
14:54Defense issues, defense, I think there's a total blockade there.
14:59This is an awakening of sleeper cells now within the country.
15:05Financing them, arming them, ammunitioning them.
15:09And these were the masterminds we caught.
15:11You see, nobody from outside has claimed responsibility so far.
15:14It's very unusual.
15:16Earlier, immediately, there is to claim responsibility.
15:19Jaishya Mohammed has not claimed any responsibility.
15:22We are assuming it.
15:23But I think this is clearly a shift from borders to covert cells, which are hiding somewhere.
15:33And also now it's not the chappalwala and padhamaywala.
15:37No.
15:38Now it is educated, radicalized.
15:40So this is a community which I think has now been radicalized.
15:45You know, I want to pick that point that you made.
15:49You know, Dr. Bedi, I want to just, you know, for a moment, stress and reflect and bring,
15:54you know, our panel in on the point that you just made.
15:57Because, you know, we might give it a glib word and call it white collar terror module,
16:01but there is a larger implication and connotation to it.
16:04No longer are we looking at a set which is, you know, steeped in poverty, uneducated,
16:10exploited by the harbingers of terror.
16:13You know, this has a huge connotation.
16:16Look at it.
16:17You know, these are men who've come from fairly affluent families whose families have worked
16:21very hard to put them through MBBS colleges to attain, you know, the kind of academic excellence
16:29that they have actually become doctors.
16:31You know, these were men and women who could have chosen better than to tread the path of
16:37sinister terrorism that they have chosen.
16:40And I just want to give the list out.
16:42Mohamed Omar, you know, Dr. Mohamed Omar, who was the suicide bomber in this particular case,
16:51young man, 1989, doctor at Alfala Medical College, MBBS from GMC Srinagar.
16:57He was behind the wheel of the I-20 that was laden with explosives detonated right outside the Red Fort
17:05metro station behind me.
17:07Adil Ahmed, then age 27 from Kazigun, senior resident doctor, GMC Anant Nag.
17:15AK-47 has been found in his locker, arrested in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, arrested from Anant Nag.
17:24Muzammil Shaqeel, doctor at Alfala University, arrested in Faridabad, Haryana, 2900 kgs of explosives seized,
17:35linked with Adil Rathar, arrested from Pulwama.
17:38Shaheen Shahid, a woman doctor from Lalbang, worked with Alfala Group, rifle found in her car.
17:47Allegedly, now she is, she's a doctor, and allegedly now she's heading the women wing in India of the Jaish-e-Mohamed,
17:55arrested from Lucknow.
17:57Ahmed Mohameddin Syed, MBBS from China, arrested by Gujarat ATS.
18:03You know, the list will go on.
18:06One of the doctors, the brother of Shaheen Shahid, Salman Parvez, Dr. Salman Parvez,
18:12who practices in Lucknow at the Integrated University, is now absconding.
18:18If you put this all together, Dr. Brahma Chalani, even just for a moment and reflect on it,
18:23you know, no longer are you looking at maybe like a Kassab who was completely illiterate, came in from acute poverty,
18:31and was used as a tool by the perpetrators of terror.
18:34You're looking at well-educated, you know, men and women coming in from affluent families,
18:40who would, one would think, pick a better, you know, way of being.
18:44And also highlighting the fact, Dr. Brahma Chalani, that these sleeper cells now have people like these
18:53making decisions, you know, with what we've seen yesterday.
18:57You raise a very good point, Preeti.
19:00In fact, if you look at the larger international context and look at the major terror attacks right in India's own neighborhood,
19:10they are a reminder that terrorism is not driven either by deprivation or by ignorance.
19:19Take the CAFE attack on foreigners in Dhaka in 2016 or the subsequent jihadi bombings in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday.
19:32The bombings in Sri Lanka on churchgoers and hotel guests were carried out by men from wealthy families.
19:43Two of the eight Sri Lankan suicide bombers were sons of one of the country's wealthiest businessmen.
19:51Several of the attackers in Sri Lanka had the means to study abroad.
19:54In fact, some of them had actually gone abroad and studied abroad.
19:58But I think what's very troubling about the latest car bombing are two things.
20:05First, the involvement of medical doctors.
20:09The alleged suicide bomber in the car, the car that exploded, was a medical doctor.
20:19The terror module that was busted earlier involved some medical doctors.
20:24Medical doctors are supposed to be saviors of lives.
20:28Here they're turning out to be predators.
20:32That is very troubling.
20:34The second is the scale, the scale of the car explosion.
20:38It was so powerful that a number of other vehicles caught fire.
20:43Look at the number of people who died, the number of people who are battling for life in hospital.
20:47And the cache of explosives that was recovered by police.
20:53Nearly 2,900 kilograms of explosives.
20:56That's a military-level stockpile.
21:00It points to a coordinated plot targeting the national capital region and possibly even beyond.
21:09So I think even though we may take comfort in the fact that there was this—that the police managed to bust this terror module,
21:22that this suicide bomber, for whatever reason, struck at a red light near the Red Fort and not at a more strategic target,
21:34yet the implications of what these people were up to, that cannot be lost.
21:42It might suggest that there are other terror modules that are still, that are still potentially ready to target other areas of India,
21:54maybe even areas within the national capital region.
21:59Right.
22:00Right.
22:01Right.
22:02You know, I'm going to just, you know, I'm going to come to you, Dr. Bedi, on this,
22:06but I want to just dip into the latest news break that we are getting in.
22:09The Delhi Chief Minister has announced an ex-gracia grant for victims of the kin who have been killed in this act of terror yesterday of a suicide bomber.
22:20The latest that we are getting in is that the Delhi Chief Minister, who has of course deemed the incident unfortunate,
22:2710 lakh for families of deceased and 5 lakh for permanently disabled, 2 lakh for seriously injured victims.
22:35My colleague who covers the Delhi government is joining us, Sushant Overtree, what more can you add to this?
22:47Thank you, Dr. C.
22:49Natalie K.
22:50Thank you, Mr. Bakashjohani.
22:52From the
23:03,
23:11I don't want to get paid to him.
23:19तर चासर लेकर के वहां कि जिसके बार है कि इस तरीके से जो भी परीवार है उनकी पूरी तरीके से मदद जो है वह वो डिली सरकार करेगी आरतीक रूप से भी मदद करेगी और
23:41with their families, so that they have to take care of their health or their health,
23:48they have to take care of the government and to take care of the government.
23:54Okay. Sushant, thank you very much.
23:58Sushant, my colleague was the first reporter on ground yesterday when the terror attack actually took place.
24:04I want to quickly cut across yours because there was a sense of disbelief that we are all suffering.
24:09It shook the heart of the national capital, it shook most of us who live in the national capital.
24:14You know, to see visuals like that coming after years of what we thought or what now we feel was a sense of false comfort.
24:21These visuals were recorded right after the blast where this, now which has been established,
24:26an I-20 vehicle laden with explosives detonated by a doctor, Omar Mohammed,
24:32who was behind the wheel of the I-20 right after that.
24:35About 8 to 10 cars surrounding the I-20 were enculphed by the fire.
24:40The impact, the intensity of the blast was such that parts of vehicles were found strewn 200 metres away from the blast site.
24:48Munish Pandey, who's bringing in these visuals, joining us for more.
24:53Munish, what more can you add?
25:00Well, Preeti, the locals in this area where I'm standing, where the blast took place,
25:06the locals were the first responders during the incident and also there were only two constables who did some heroic job.
25:14In this visuals, it is very clear that the impact of the blast was such that the nearby vehicles also got affected
25:21and affected in a way that they're make and made where we can't identify from the visuals.
25:27What we can see is that there was a white colour car which was impacted but the person who was driving the car was still stuck.
25:34And there are locals who came to rescue at a time when Preeti, one can see that there was still fire around the area.
25:43But they came, they were trying to rescue this person.
25:46There are two constables also which we can see in the visuals that they were the one who were taking the locals to the hospital.
25:54So these, these visuals once again, you know, it confirms that the locals were not only the first responders
26:02but they did some heroic job by saving lives of several individuals because it was their effort
26:09due to which those who were injured, they were taken to the hospital and due to which might be several lives were saved.
26:18Okay.
26:21All right, Manish, you know, thank you for bringing up these visuals because it is important somewhere to recognize the first responders,
26:29those who came in to help.
26:30And that's primarily the reason we are putting up this video.
26:33I want to quickly bring in for final comments, you know, very quickly, Dr. Kiran Bedi and Dr. Brahma Chalani.
26:38Dr. Bedi, you know, you did touch on the white collar nature of this crime.
26:42But also what has happened, Dr. Bedi is now, you know, it shook most of us out of what we thought was, you know, a false sense of comfort
26:51that gone are the days of us witnessing attacks like this.
26:54It's very much there.
26:56It's present and now orchestrated by those who could possibly be living right besides us.
27:03Truly, we will not, we have to be prepared always, always to deal with it.
27:10The message is prevent as much as you can.
27:13This is where neighborhood watch groups, beach systems.
27:17You know what?
27:18I would probably think this will lead to cameras outside every ammunition of this kind of wholesaler,
27:26wholesaler or provider who is coming, who is buying, let's say, ammonia, ammonium, nitrate, etc.
27:33Who is buying the data of these buyers of these?
27:36I think we'll have to work on a whole prevention strategy using technology so that we can prevent as much and prepare our agencies
27:44because they, the neighborhood is not going to give up.
27:47Neighborhood is not going to reconcile to a defeat which they've had in the recent past.
27:52So we'll have to prevent, we'll have the strategy for regular, grassroot, ground policing prevention,
27:59putting the onus on the neighborhoods to report.
28:02Also, I think control room to inform anonymously and also strengthen our investigating agencies.
28:10And I'm very happy to see all of them working together since yesterday.
28:15We will have a whole network, a national network exposed now through this because it's come to an ecosystem.
28:22Right. I want to bring in Dr. Brahmachalani.
28:28Dr. Brahmachalani, final comments. I don't really want to encapsulate it, but I would like to say it very gingerly at that.
28:34You know, there are always periods, you know, phases that a country goes through.
28:39We had gone through a huge phase which was, you know, stability, safety.
28:44And for that man out on the street, you know, who's taking that metro back home, that kind of safety, that feeling, you know, was omnipresent and it was so very important.
28:55Are we somewhere now entering a very new phase where our country is concerned, our, you know, the security apparatus or what we are now going to face?
29:06Over the years, India has experienced major terror attacks in its cities from Mumbai to Coimbatore to cities in eastern India.
29:20In Delhi in the past, for example, in Lajpan Nagar, several other places in Delhi, there have been major bombings in the past.
29:29So it's clear there is a pattern to it that periodically the sponsors of terror seek to puncture the perception that India is a safe, secure, prospering country.
29:45Pakistan may be a smaller, weaker country, but it's a quasi-failed rogue state that has a longstanding nexus with terror groups.
29:58And Pakistan will not change.
30:00In fact, after Operation Sindhu, in more recent weeks, China has felt emboldened to up the ante against India.
30:10For example, in the Sir Creek extiary, in the Sir Creek extiary, Pakistan has significantly built up its forces, forcing India to also build up its forces.
30:21And currently there's an ongoing Indian major military exercise, a tri-service exercise near the Sir Creek.
30:30So we have to take into account the fact that dealing with Pakistan has to be a sustained effort by all the different agencies.
30:45It has to be a response, a coordinated response.
30:51And unfortunately, we're seeing also a convergence today of Chinese and American interests.
30:58They're increasingly converging on Pakistan.
31:00Right.
31:01So for India, this car blast, you know, if you look at it in the larger context,
31:07it underscores the fact that India needs to deal with its challenges proactively.
31:18Correct.
31:19I appreciate both of you for joining us.
31:21Thank you for giving us your time.
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