Why the Opposition has avoided cornering the Modi government after Delhi blast

“For several decades, our country tolerated terrorism,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the ramparts of the Red Fort in Delhi on Independence Day this year. “Now, we have established a new normal.”

He was referring to his government’s policy of not distinguishing between the Pakistani state and the network of terror outfits that allegedly act at its behest. India took this view after Operation Sindoor, which was meant to avenge the loss of 26 lives in the terror attack at a popular tourist spot in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22.

Six months on, Monday’s car explosion near the same Red Fort that Modi spoke from has left at least 13 people dead so far. The government took two days just to officially acknowledge that the incident was an act of terrorism.

However, rather than taking the prime minister to task on this issue, his political opponents are treading with caution. While some MPs and spokespersons have condemned the security failure, top Opposition leaders have thus far avoided cornering the government on its repeated failure to prevent terror attacks.

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