CHANDIGARH: A grenade was hurled at a temple in Amritsar late on Friday night by two unidentified persons on a motorcycle, creating panic in the area.
Sources said that incident took place around 12:35 am on the intervening night of March 14 and 15 and the wall of the Thakurdwara temple in Khandwala area of Amritsar was damaged in the explosion.
No one was injured in the incident. The priest and his family living on the upper floor narrowly escaped.
A loud noise was heard by the locals after the grenade exploded. The intensity of the blast was so powerful that the window panes of nearby buildings broke.
CCTV footage shows the suspects hurling a grenade at the temple around midnight. Senior police officials rushed to the scene, launching an investigation to identify and apprehend the culprits. The blast sent shockwaves through the local community, sparking widespread panic.
In the past four months, this grenade attack marks the 13th such incident in the state. For the first time, a religious place has been targeted, whereas previous attacks in this region primarily targeted police establishments. Authorities suspect the involvement of foreign-based gangsters turned terrorists in these incidents.
A local leader condemned the attack, calling it an attempt to disrupt the peaceful atmosphere in Punjab.
Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said he visited the site and that the situation is being assessed, assuring that the culprits will not be spared.
"We received information at 2 AM and immediately reached the spot. A forensic team was called in, and the police examined CCTV footage and spoke to locals. We will trace the accused within days and take appropriate action," Bhullar stated.
Bhullar has also suggested the hand of Pakistan Intel agency ISI in the blast. "The thing is that Pakistan's ISI lures our youth into creating disturbances in Punjab," he said.
Punjab Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said two suspects have been identified.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann acknowledged repeated attempts to disturb peace in the state.
“There are constant efforts to create unrest in Punjab through drugs, gangsters, and extortion. However, Punjab remains peaceful. During Holi, other states witnessed lathi charges during processions, but such incidents did not occur here. The law and order situation is under control,” Mann said.
BJP national spokesperson Shahzad Poonawalla criticized the Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab, condemning the Amritsar temple attack and alleging a decline in law and order since AAP took power.
Poonawalla claimed that a series of grenade attacks have taken place across the state, including some targeting police stations.
"Ever since the Aam Aadmi Party came to power, the law and order situation has deteriorated... These grenade attacks have occurred in a chain, with some even targeting police stations... Meanwhile, the police are preoccupied with protecting Arvind Kejriwal," he told ANI on Saturday.
The Thakurdwara Temple blast follows an incident at the Golden Temple on Friday, where an assailant attacked people with an iron rod at the Shri Guru Ramdas Sarai lodging facility, injuring at least five people.
Local leaders condemned the attack, calling it an attempt to disrupt Punjab’s peace.
BJP general secretary Tarun Chugh accused the AAP government of failing to curb disruptive elements, calling the attack on a temple a serious attempt to stir communal unrest.
Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring urged stronger measures, while SAD leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema called for a judicial probe, saying attack reflected breakdown in law and order.