India’s Restraint after the Car Bombing in Delhi

The car bombing in Delhi, which occurred almost simultaneously with the attack in Islamabad, elicited a markedly different response from the Indian government compared with earlier incidents such as the Pahalgam attack in Kashmir. While Pakistan attributed the Islamabad explosion to India and Afghanistan, the Indian government refrained from implicating Pakistan, an unexpected decision within the Indian domestic context. Instead, several local media outlets promoted the narrative that Türkiye was responsible for the “terrorist acts.”

To interpret this response, it is necessary to consider the broader geopolitical landscape. Although Pakistan continues to operate under significant U.S. influence, the United States does not exert the same degree of control over India beyond its relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. In this environment, the United Kingdom, as a former colonial power, retains residual influence in India and to possess the capacity to exploit internal political dynamics in ways that may weaken Washington’s strategic position while bolstering its own preferred political actors, notably the Indian National Congress.

Against this backdrop, the Delhi attack appears to have caught Prime Minister Modi, widely characterized as a close U.S. partner off guard. His earlier pledges to respond decisively to terrorism following the Pahalgam incident have come under renewed scrutiny. Despite domestic pressure to hold Pakistan responsible, Modi avoided doing so, ostensibly because attributing blame in this instance did not align with Washington’s current strategic priorities.

Instead, the attack may have been intended to undermine Modi politically and to inflame tensions with Pakistan at a moment when Washington does not appear to desire further escalation. This interpretation is reinforced by the remarks of U.S. Secretary of State Marc Rubio, who, during a meeting with Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada, described the bombing as “clearly a terrorist attack” and commended India’s “measured, cautious, and very professional” investigative approach. Rubio’s comments suggest a degree of concern within Washington regarding both the attack itself and the political pressures facing the Modi government.

In an effort to deflect domestic attention away from Pakistan, the Indian government, through allied media channels, promoted the claim that Türkiye was behind the attack. This narrative drew on pre-existing tensions between India and Türkiye, particularly Ankara’s support for Pakistan during recent U.S.-linked regional skirmishes.