Shiv Sena (UBT) slams Centre over Delhi blast, questions its security focus

The Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) has launched a sharp attack on the Centre over the recent blast near Delhi’s Red Fort, accusing the government of failing to eliminate terrorism and neglecting national security priorities.

In a strongly worded editorial published in the party’s mouthpiece Saamana on Wednesday, the Thackeray-led faction said the capital city had been “shaken by a bomb blast” while the Union government remained focused on electioneering. The party alleged that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah were preoccupied with the Bihar Assembly elections when the deadly explosion took place.

The editorial further called on Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers and supporters to demand Amit Shah’s resignation “if they are true devotees of Mother India.” It added, “This would be a service to the nation. If the Home Minister resigns, it will be a favour to 140 crore people; otherwise, cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru will be seen drenched in blood.”

Criticising the government’s handling of internal security, the editorial stated, “In front of the Home Minister’s eyes, the vermilion of 26 women was wiped off in Pahalgam, an explosion took place near his nose, and the Red Fort is shaken. The Delhi blast has raised many serious questions for the nation.”

The Sena (UBT) also accused the ruling dispensation of politicising law enforcement agencies. “Instead of tracking terrorists, the system is being used to target political opponents,” the piece claimed, adding that the Home Minister “sees opposition leaders as terrorists while using security forces to suppress dissent.”

The party questioned the government’s credibility on its repeated promises to eradicate terrorism, pointing out that the blast occurred in the same area from where the Prime Minister addresses the nation on Independence Day each year.

“Twelve people have died and 25 were injured, yet the government is busy with election campaigns. People are being killed like ants on the streets of Delhi while the leadership focuses on political gains,” Saamana said.

Concluding with a stinging remark, the editorial compared Amit Shah unfavourably to India’s first Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, calling him “the weakest Home Minister ever.”

The comments come amid heightened security and ongoing investigations into the Red Fort blast, which authorities suspect may be linked to a broader terror network recently uncovered in Faridabad and Kashmir.