US Senator Marco Rubio has praised India's handling of the Delhi Red Fort blast investigation, describing it as "very professional" and noting that Indian authorities are fully capable of managing the probe independently, according to The Jerusalem Post.
On November 10, a high-intensity explosion occurred in a slow-moving Hyundai i20 car at a traffic signal near the Red Fort Metro Station, killing at least 13 people and injuring several others. The car explosion was directly linked to a major terror module uncovered in Faridabad.
'They don’t need our help': Marco Rubio
Speaking to reporters in Canada after a meeting of G7 foreign ministers on Wednesday, Rubio said that while the United States has offered assistance, India's investigative agencies are "doing a good job" and "don't need our help".
"We've offered to help, but I think they're very capable in these investigations. They don't need our help, and they're doing a good job," he said.
His remarks come as multiple Indian agencies, including the NIA, Delhi Police, and central intelligence units, continue investigating the November 10 Red Fort blast.
Jaishankar meets Rubio
Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Rubio on the sidelines of the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Niagara. The two leaders discussed a range of bilateral and global issues, with the recent blast near Delhi's Red Fort also featuring in their talks.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said he appreciated Rubio’s expression of condolence over the loss of lives in the Delhi explosion. "Appreciate his condolences on the loss of lives in the blast in Delhi. Discussed our bilateral ties, focusing on trade and supply chains. Exchanged views on the Ukraine conflict, the Middle East/West Asia situation, and the Indo-Pacific," he said.
Earlier this week, the United States said it was closely monitoring the situation in New Delhi and stood ready to assist. A State Department spokesperson told news agency PTI, "We are aware of the explosion near Red Fort in Delhi. We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to provide consular assistance."
Govt terms car blast near Red Fort as 'terrorist incident'
Meanwhile, the Government on Wednesday termed the blast near the Red Fort as a "terrorist incident" even as it emerged during investigations that Dr Umar Nabi, who was driving the explosives-laden car, planned an attack here to coincide with the Babri Masjid demolition anniversary on December 6.
Officials involved in the investigations into the blast said that Umar and another key suspect Dr Muzammil Ganai had met overground workers of the banned terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) during their trip to Turkiye in 2021.
They also said that an analysis of dump data retrieved from the mobile phone of Muzammil showed he had recced the Red Fort area multiple times in the first week of January.
Also Read: Delhi blast: DNA confirms Dr Umar was driving i20 car that exploded near Red Fort, say sources
Also Read: Delhi blast a terror attack, says government; affirms zero-tolerance policy on terrorism
