'Degree in hand, RDX in pockets': Months after Red Fort blast, Rajnath Singh flags white-collar terror threat

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh recently flagged the rise in "white-collar terrorism" in India, adding that education without values can turn disastrous for society. Speaking at an event on Friday, he said that the accused in the November 10 car bomb blast near Red Fort in Delhi were qualified doctors.

Highlighting the irony, he said that those who are trained to write prescriptions for life-saving medicine were found with RDX in their hands instead. 

The explosion near Red Fort involved an i20 car full of explosives driven by Dr Umar-un-Nabi and resulted in the deaths of 15 people. Officials later uncovered a white-collar terror module, which led to the arrest of 3 doctors - Shaheena Shahid, Adeel Rather and Muzammil Ganai -- among others. 

"Today, an alarming trend of white-collar terrorism is emerging in the country. Highly educated people are working against society and the country. The perpetrators of the (Delhi) bomb blast were doctors – those who had a degree in hand and RDX in their pockets. This highlights the need for knowledge to be accompanied by values and character," Singh said at the 104th foundation day of Bhupal Nobles' University.

He added that the purpose of education is not just professional success but also the development of morality, ethics and human character.

The Defence Minister further said, Any education system that cannot fulfil this objective, which does not impart humility, a sense of character and 'dharma' (righteousness) along with knowledge, is incomplete." He mentioned that terrorists are not necessarily illiterate and can hold university degrees, but lack wisdom and values. 

"When I talk about religion, it should not be associated with going to the temple, mosque or church for prayer. Religion is a sense of duty. Education devoid of religion and morality will not be useful to society, and sometimes it can even prove fatal. This is why educated people are sometimes found to be involved in crimes," he stated.

Furthermore,  the Defence Minister shared an optimistic outlook for India's military and economic future. Highlighting the "remarkable work" done by Indian defence startups, he expressed confidence that the country would achieve full self-reliance in weapons system within the next 15-20 years.