Chandigarh, May 6 (PTI) Opposition parties on Wednesday slammed the AAP government over the twin blasts in Jalandhar and Amritsar, alleging the incidents exposed the “complete collapse of law and order and intelligence systems in Punjab”.
Two back-to-back explosions near security establishments rocked Punjab on Tuesday night, triggering panic. The first explosion occurred around 8 pm in Jalandhar outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force’s Punjab Frontier, while the second blast happened at around 11 pm near the army camp in Amritsar’s Khasa.
Speaking to the media here, Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia said the blasts near sensitive security establishments reflected the “failure” of the state government, Punjab Police and intelligence agencies.
The Akali leader alleged that instead of maintaining peace and law and order, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was making “irresponsible statements for political purposes”.
Referring to the chief minister’s allegation that the BJP could be behind the blasts, Majithia said that if such claims were true, the DGP should immediately arrest the culprits and expose them publicly.
“If the allegations are baseless, then Prime Minister Narendra Modi should order a serious investigation and dismiss a government making provocative and misleading statements,” he said.
CM Mann on Wednesday held the BJP responsible for the two blast incidents and said this was how the party was preparing for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.
Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said it was deeply disturbing that CM Mann was publicly alleging the involvement of the BJP in the blasts, while the DGP 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 of Punjab trust, the political leadership or the state police chief,” Bajwa asked.
He said the conflicting statements coming from the government itself were creating confusion and spreading fear among the public at a time when Punjab required responsible leadership and a clear security response.
“If Bhagwant Mann genuinely possesses information or intelligence suggesting the involvement of BJP leaders or workers in these incidents, then he must immediately place all evidence before the people of Punjab and direct the Punjab Police to register criminal cases against every individual responsible,” Bajwa said in a statement.
He further challenged the CM to act on his own allegations instead of making “politically convenient statements”.
“I dare Bhagwant Mann to order legal action against those he is accusing. Punjab cannot be run through insinuations, selective narratives, and political blame games,” he added.
Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu challenged Mann to immediately register a case against the BJP if he possesses any evidence, otherwise apologise to the people of Punjab and the BJP.
He said if Mann neither apologises for his statement nor presents any evidence, the BJP will pursue the matter legally and will also approach the court.
Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring condemned the bomb blasts in Jalandhar and Amritsar, warning against a threat to the hard-earned peace in the state.
He also criticized the AAP government for its “complete failure” to maintain law and order, while pointing out how frequent bomb blasts have become routine under its regime.
The PCC president warned against taking such a serious threat to the peace in the state in a casual manner.
“At stake is the hard-earned peace in Punjab which has come at a huge cost,” he remarked, while telling the government, “don’t squander it away”.
Referring to Mann’s allegations that the BJP was behind these bomb blasts, Warring asked that “if he knows who is behind these blasts, why is he not taking any action”.
“Why are you trying to make Punjab the playfield for your dirty games?” he asked Mann.
He also questioned the silence of the Union home minister on such an important issue concerning national security.
The PCC president said that given the serious allegations made by the CM against the BJP, the party leadership and the central government owe an answer and explanation since these have come from the head of the government of a state.
Congress leader and Gurdaspur MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa said by blaming the BJP for blast incidents, Mann is trying to evade his responsibility.
Contradicting the CM’s statement, his own DGP Gaurav Yadav has pointed to a Pakistan connection behind these blasts, said Randhawa.
“This proves that CM Mann is not serious about Punjab. He is not fit to continue as home minister and lacks coordination with police officials,” the Congress MP alleged. PTI CHS KVK KVK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.