Punjab blasts spark political firestorm, BJP MPs target CM Bhagwant Mann

New Delhi: A political storm erupted on Wednesday over the recent blast incidents in Punjab’s Amritsar and Jalandhar, with BJP leaders launching sharp attacks on the Aam Aadmi Party-led state government and questioning Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s statements on the matter.

Reacting to the development, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha expressed serious concern, describing the blasts as a deliberate attempt to disturb peace in the border state.

“In the last few hours, two very dangerous incidents have taken place in Punjab; two bomb blasts have occurred, one in Jalandhar and the other in Amritsar. We condemn these acts. The situation is deeply concerning; these bomb blasts represent an attempt to destabilise the peace and tranquillity of Punjab,” Chadha said.

He further claimed that, based on preliminary findings and forensic assessments, the Punjab Police leadership had pointed towards the involvement of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

“After visiting the crime scenes, conducting thorough investigations with forensic experts, and carrying out preliminary inquiries, the Punjab DGP has concluded that Pakistan’s ISI is behind these incidents. On the other hand, the Chief Minister of Punjab is issuing statements claiming that Pakistan’s ISI is not involved in these incidents, but rather the BJP is,” he added.

Sharpening his attack, Chadha questioned the Chief Minister’s stance and called his remarks “extremely serious.”

“Why is Bhagwant Mann giving a clean chit to the ISI? Only he can answer that. Is he under someone else’s influence? Did someone instruct him to issue a statement of this nature? Or has he consumed some substance? However, this statement is extremely serious. It is, quite directly, a pro-Pakistan and anti-India statement,” he said adding, “A democratically elected Chief Minister ought to refrain from making such statements; instead, he should assess the law and order situation in his state and focus his efforts on how to strengthen it, how to apprehend those behind this bomb blast, and how to bring this investigation to a logical conclusion.”

Meanwhile, BJP MP Ashok Mittal also condemned the incidents, stressing that such acts of violence are a matter of national concern.

“In any part of the country, if there is an incident of extremism, be it a blast or something like that, first of all, we should condemn it, and I condemn it wholeheartedly. This should not have happened. It is a concern for the security of the country,” Mittal told IANS.

He emphasised the need for coordination between the Centre and the state government to effectively address the situation.

“I hope that both governments will work together to find a solution to this problem,” he added.

The twin blast incidents in Amritsar and Jalandhar have heightened security concerns in Punjab, a sensitive border state.

Security agencies have intensified surveillance and investigations, while political exchanges over accountability and the source of the threat continue to escalate.

–IANS