CHANDIGARH: A "grenade" was hurled at the house of social media influencer Navdeep Sandhu in Raipur Rasoolpur village, Jalandhar, during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday. Pakistan-based don Shehzad Bhatti claimed responsibility for the attack and warned that five more people would be "targeted."
In a video, Bhatti alleged that Sandhu had made objectionable comments against the Muslim community on social media, insulting Islam, the Kaaba, and the Prophet. "If he survives, we shall strike again, and he is not alone. There were five people, and they thought we forgot. I thank both brothers, Zeeshan Akhtar (an accused in the Baba Siddiqui murder case) and Happy Passia (a US-based Punjab gangster with terror links). He (Passia) also supported me," Bhatti said.
Bhatti further issued a warning, saying, "If they do not want bloodshed and want to maintain a peaceful atmosphere, they should be arrested. I will give their photographs and names; then I shall not do anything. But if they are not arrested, then whatever consequences I might face, I shall destroy them in a way that their seven generations would remember."
He also released footage of the attack, saying, "They may not break the news, so I am showing the video (of the grenade hurling) at the last. I don’t need fame. The video has been made so that if anybody abuses again, we shall do worse. And if he survives, then I shall do a bigger attack. Arrest them if you don’t want bloodshed. He (Rozer), his brother, and three or four more people are there. I have their names and pictures. If you abuse the Kaaba and Islam again, I shall strike again, whatever time it takes. Every time, we shall make a video of the strike."
Senior Superintendent of Police of Jalandhar (Rural), Gurmeet Singh, confirmed that they had received information about the attack. "When we checked, we found a suspicious object. We called the bomb disposal team, and they picked it up for examination."
Deputy Inspector General of Police (Jalandhar Range), Naveen Singla, stated that the incident appeared to be a result of an old rivalry between two social media influencers. "A metal object was hurled at the house, which was not a grenade. There was no blast. The object has been sent for forensic examination," he said.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Member of Parliament from Anandpur Sahib, Malvinder Singh Kang, alleged that the attack was part of Pakistan’s conspiracy against Punjab’s crackdown on drugs. "Pakistan is worried about the eradication of the drug menace in Punjab. A recent example is Shehzad Bhatti taking responsibility for the grenade attack. This reveals Pakistan’s conspiracy," he said.
Kang also targeted the BJP, alleging that Bhatti was associated with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, whose video had recently gone viral on social media. "BJP leaders must answer why their Gujarat government has treated Lawrence Bishnoi like a son-in-law in Sabarmati Jail," he said.
He accused the BJP of using Bishnoi for political gains while providing him government protection and luxurious jail facilities. "Everyone knows the relationship between BJP and gangster Lawrence Bishnoi," he said.
Kang further questioned why a gangster "treated like a guest in Gujarat" was linked to people attempting to disturb peace in Punjab. "BJP leaders must answer this and clarify whether they are instigating such attacks in Punjab for their petty politics."
He asserted that the Punjab government would not let any conspiracy derail its campaign against drugs and gangsters. "Whether it is Pakistan or BJP, we will not let anyone succeed in their nefarious plans," he said.