Delhi Blast: A Conspiracy to Halt India’s Rise

The massive explosion that shook Delhi last evening has jolted the entire nation. According to preliminary reports, nine people have been killed and more than two dozen injured in this blast. Terrorists have previously targeted public transport, various markets, and religious places in Delhi, but due to the government’s strict vigilance, they could not carry out their nefarious acts in the capital for fourteen years. After such a long gap, this new attempt by terrorists is not just an act of violence—it is a well-planned effort to disrupt India’s peace, stability, and journey of progress. This blast is a conspiracy to stop a rising India.

Since the formation of the Modi government in 2014, the country has been steadily climbing the ladder of progress. Naxalism is fading away. The wheel of development is spinning rapidly across the nation. India’s economy, infrastructure, and global stature have grown remarkably. The nation has become the world’s fifth-largest economy and is now advancing toward the goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047. Amid this rise, India’s internal stability, technological advancement, and global acceptance have made its enemy nations uneasy—especially Pakistan. Struggling with failed politics and a crumbling economy, Pakistan is unable to digest India’s growth.

Since 2014, the Pakistani leadership has spent less time thinking about building their own nation and more on devising ways to harm India. India’s progress pricks their eyes, and its internal peace disturbs them. Particularly after the Modi government came to power, Pakistan has failed to execute any major terrorist attack within India.

There was a time when the entire country lived under fear and insecurity. Terrorist attacks had become common. Whenever they wished, terrorists would infiltrate across the border and massacre innocent civilians in Indian cities. Bomb blasts from city to city were part of daily life. While Pakistan maintained firing along the borders, it simultaneously fueled terrorism within India.

For Pakistan-backed terrorists, Delhi, Mumbai, and Jammu & Kashmir have always been prime targets. We still remember many of those attacks. But after 2014, cross-border infiltration attempts by terrorists have suffered massive losses. India has adopted a strong policy of eliminating terrorists at the border itself and intensifying the cleanup of those who manage to enter the country.

Frustrated terrorists have indeed attempted attacks in Kashmir’s Pulwama and Uri, at Punjab’s Pathankot Airbase, and on tourists in Pahalgam. However, India’s retaliatory strikes on terrorist bases across the border have isolated Pakistan globally. India’s decisive actions—like the 2016 Surgical Strike, 2019 Balakot Air Strike, and 2025 Operation Sindoor—have sent a clear message to the world that India is no longer a nation that merely endures attacks; it knows how to respond. Following these operations, the international community now recognizes Pakistan as a sponsor of terrorism. The recent blast in Delhi, therefore, may well be the desperate last attempt of a failing terror network.

Although investigations are still underway and agencies have not yet made any official statements, every citizen knows that the blast near the Red Fort is the result of Pakistan’s malicious mindset. Delhi is the heart of India. The motive behind carrying out such an act here is to attract global attention. For fourteen years, terrorists failed to execute their plans in Delhi. They may be celebrating this attack now, but their joy will soon turn into mourning—because the Modi government will not spare anyone who dares to cast an evil eye on India. Those terrorists and their masters seem to have forgotten that Operation Sindoor is not yet over. They will soon realize this mistake.

As someone who has lived in Delhi for over five and a half decades, I, like many others, am deeply saddened but not disheartened. We trust our nation. I have witnessed both peaceful and turbulent days in Delhi. Over the last four decades, Delhi has faced numerous terrorist attacks. Before Modi came to power, our capital was often a prime target. In the past two decades alone, more than 100 people have lost their lives, and over 500 have been injured in Delhi’s terror attacks. The December 13, 2001 attack on Parliament was an assault on the sovereignty of the nation.

Not just Delhi and Mumbai—cities like Jaipur, Ajmer, Malegaon, Srinagar, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Rampur, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, and Varanasi—have all suffered from terrorist plots. However, the Modi government’s strong internal security measures have prevented such designs from succeeding. I still recall September 7, 2011, when a suitcase bomb exploded outside Gate No. 5 of the Delhi High Court, killing 17 people and injuring 76. Since then, our security has strengthened considerably—but this recent blast has again forced us to think deeply.

Just hours before the explosion, an ISIS-linked module was busted in Faridabad, where eight individuals, including three doctors, were arrested. The police recovered 2,900 kilograms of explosive material, an assault rifle, and an AK-47 from them. This clearly indicates that the Delhi blast is connected to that same network. Had this module not been caught in time, the devastation could have spread to multiple cities.

India’s intelligence and security agencies have significantly weakened the terror infrastructure in the past decade. Cross-border infiltration has dropped by nearly 60 percent, and local recruitment by terror outfits in Jammu & Kashmir has declined. Coordination among our various security and intelligence agencies is stronger than ever. Still, this attack signals that terrorist organizations remain active in some form and continue to receive financial and ideological support from abroad.

For people like me, who have lived in Delhi for over five decades, this incident is painful. We have seen those dark days when markets, buses, and temples witnessed serial bomb blasts. Today’s Delhi is far safer than before—but this blast is a stark reminder that complacency in security can never be an option. All security measures must be reviewed again. The government must tighten its systems further to ensure that terrorists never succeed in their sinister plans.

While the government is doing its job, the opposition parties too must act responsibly. This is not the time for political point-scoring. When the nation’s security is at stake, it is not just the government’s test—it is the test of the entire country. Unfortunately, at times, statements from opposition leaders, knowingly or unknowingly, strengthen the enemy’s narrative. They must realize that India’s unity is its greatest strength.

Delhi is the heart of India. This blast is not just an attack on a city but a blow to the nation’s confidence and global rise. Yet India is no longer a country that bows down or fears. Those forces envious of India’s progress must remember—this is New India, which not only endures attacks but knows how to strike back. The entire nation must stand united to show terrorists and their supporters that no matter the differences in color, dress, or language, every Indian stands as one.

(The author is an educationist, thinker, and speaker who served as a professor at the University of Delhi for four decades. Views are personal. Email: profmcguptadelhi@gmail.com)