Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Nov 14: The Congress on Thursday demanded that the government advance the Winter Session of Parliament and convene an all-party meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the wake of the November 10 blast near the Red Fort that killed 13 people.

Addressing a press conference, AICC Media and Publicity Department chairman Pawan Khera questioned the government’s delay in acknowledging the incident as a terror attack. “Surprisingly, 48 hours after this incident, the Cabinet admitted that it was a terrorist incident. This raises serious questions,” he said.

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday described the explosion as a “heinous terror incident perpetrated by anti-national forces” and instructed agencies to pursue the investigation with “utmost urgency and professionalism” to identify the perpetrators and their sponsors.

Khera also sought clarity on the government’s earlier “new normal doctrine,” introduced after the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, under which any future terror strike would be treated as an act of war. “Therefore, we want to know from the PM if the so-called ‘new normal doctrine’ still stands,” he said.

Raising concerns over lapses in security, Khera questioned how “2,900 kg of explosive material reached Faridabad,” barely 20 km from the national capital. He drew parallels with the 2019 Pulwama attack, asking why there were still no answers on how RDX had reached the attackers. “There are so many security agencies… Amit Shah, Ajit Doval say our vigilant eye is always open. Then how did this happen?” he asked.

Referring to the accountability shown by the UPA after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks—when then Home Minister Shivraj Patil resigned—Khera asked, “Under the NDA government, who’s taking responsibility?”

Reiterating the party’s support to the government on national security matters, Khera said, “Whenever there is a terror attack, we have said the government should take strict steps and we are with them.” However, he added that the government must take a clear stand during this “grave challenge before the country.”

“We demand an all-party meeting chaired by the PM. It cannot be that you do not take part in it out of arrogance,” he said. The Congress also demanded that the Winter Session, scheduled from December 1, be brought forward in view of the security situation.