CHANDIGARH: A political slugfest has erupted in Punjab following two low-intensity blasts near the BSF Punjab Frontier headquarters in Jalandhar and outside an Army camp at Khasa in Amritsar late last night.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann blamed the BJP for the incidents, linking them to the party’s alleged preparations for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
“Investigations into these blasts are under way. This is part of the BJP’s preparations for the elections in Punjab. In any state where they have to contest elections, they first create unrest, carry out small blasts, and divide people on the basis of religion and caste,” he said.
Mann added, “Complete peace will be maintained, law and order will be ensured, and the guilty will be given strict punishment. I want to tell the BJP that Punjab has seen many dark days. The people of Punjab will no longer tolerate such things. Punjabis are peace-loving people.”
Reacting to the Chief Minister’s statement, the saffron party hit back strongly. Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar described Mann’s remarks as irresponsible and driven by panic. He said the comments proved that Mann was unfit to be Chief Minister and accused him of prioritising politics over allowing the police to do their job.
Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu challenged Mann to register an FIR against the BJP to substantiate his claims. He expressed shock that the Chief Minister made such serious allegations within hours of the blasts, even as the police had indicated the possible involvement of Pakistan’s ISI. Bittu further noted that a BJP office had also been targeted in recent incidents and questioned the Chief Minister’s logic. Referring to past elections, he asked how many grenade attacks had taken place during the West Bengal elections, asserting that the BJP does not resort to such tactics to gain power.
Punjab BJP vice-president and former MLA Fateh Jung Singh Bajwa said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had lost his composure and should get himself medically examined. He added that while the opposition and even Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav had indicated a possible ISI link, the Chief Minister’s statements blaming the BJP raised serious questions about his judgement.
Senior BJP leader Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi questioned Mann, asking that if every untoward incident in Punjab was a BJP conspiracy, then what the AAP government had been doing over the past four years in power. He said maintaining peace, security and communal harmony was the primary responsibility of the state government, and accused the AAP of indulging in political blame games instead of addressing governance failures.
Senior Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Partap Bajwa also questioned the contradictory statements emerging from the Punjab government regarding the recent blasts.
He said it was deeply concerning that Chief Minister and Home Minister Bhagwant Mann was alleging BJP involvement, while the state’s Director General of Police was attributing the incidents to Pakistan’s ISI-backed elements.
“The people of Punjab deserve clarity. On one hand, the Chief Minister is blaming the BJP, while on the other, the state’s top police officer is pointing towards Pakistan’s ISI. Whom should the people trust — the political leadership or the state police chief?” Bajwa asked.
He added that such conflicting narratives were creating confusion and fear among the public at a time when Punjab required responsible leadership and a clear security response.
“If the Chief Minister genuinely possesses information suggesting the involvement of BJP leaders or workers, he must immediately place the evidence before the people and direct the Punjab Police to register criminal cases against those responsible,” Bajwa said.
He further challenged Mann to act on his allegations instead of making politically convenient statements. “Punjab cannot be run through insinuations, selective narratives and political blame games,” he added.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring criticised the Aam Aadmi Party government for failing to maintain law and order, pointing out that such incidents were becoming increasingly frequent. He warned against treating the issue lightly, stressing that Punjab’s hard-earned peace was at stake.
Referring to Mann’s claims that the blasts were orchestrated by the BJP, Warring questioned why no action had been taken if the Chief Minister had credible information. He also questioned the silence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah on the matter, calling it a serious issue concerning national security.
He added that given the gravity of the allegations made by the Chief Minister, both the BJP leadership and the central government owed an explanation.
“Whoever is behind these acts is an enemy of Punjab, and the people will not forgive it,” Warring said, adding that if the Congress forms the government after the next elections, a thorough probe would be conducted and those responsible would be brought to justice.
