‘Will trace culprits even in paatal’: Amit Shah issues strong warning after Red Fort blast, signals zero-tolerance

Shah says those involved in the 10 November Red Fort blast will face the strictest punishment and calls for deeper security coordination among northern states.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said that those responsible for the 10 November blast near Delhi’s Red Fort will be traced and punished, stating that the culprits would be found “even from the depths of paatal (netherworld)”. He added that eliminating terrorism “from its roots” is a collective commitment under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

Eliminating terror from its roots under PM Modi's leadership is our collective commitment: Home Minister Shah at zonal council meet.

We will hunt down culprits of Delhi blast even from depths of 'paatal' (netherworld) and ensure strictest punishment for them: Amit Shah. pic.twitter.com/OFsTPibRvh

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— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 17, 2025

Council meeting brings together northern states

Shah was speaking at the 32nd meeting of the Northern Zonal Council held in Delhi. The council includes Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh and Chandigarh.

Chief Ministers Nayab Singh Saini, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Bhagwant Mann, Bhajan Lal Sharma, Rekha Gupta and Omar Abdullah were present. Lieutenant Governors Manoj Sinha and V K Saxena, and Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria also attended.

The meeting began with a one-minute silence for those killed in the recent blast near the Red Fort.

Key regional issues discussed

The council reviewed several issues concerning the region, including:

education and health
water and electricity supply
strengthening nutrition and urban planning
improving the cooperative sector
faster investigation of sexual-offence cases involving women and children
better implementation of Fast Track Special Courts
Senior officials from the Centre, states and Union territories took part in the discussions.

Background: Role of Zonal Councils

Zonal councils were set up under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 to promote cooperation between states and the Centre. There are five such councils in India. The Union Home Minister serves as Chairperson, while a chief minister from a member state serves as Vice-Chairperson on rotation.

Each state nominates two ministers, and a permanent committee of chief secretaries examines issues before they are taken up at the main meeting.

Though advisory in nature, zonal councils have become key platforms for resolving inter-state issues and strengthening regional coordination. Over the past 11 years, 63 meetings of zonal councils and their permanent committees have been held.