Chandigarh, May 7
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Thursday served a legal defamation notice to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, demanding that he either provide evidence for his allegations regarding twin bomb blast in state or resign from office. The row began after two explosions near security establishments in Punjab on Tuesday night triggered panic and renewed political debate over law and order in the border state. No casualties were reported, but opposition parties criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over security concerns.
Speaking during the Punjab government’s “Shukrana Yatra” on Wednesday, Mann alleged that the BJP was attempting to engineer communal tension in Punjab ahead of the next assembly elections. “The BJP is trying to create unrest in Punjab on the pattern of Bengal ahead of elections,” Mann told reporters, claiming that people in Punjab would not allow divisive politics to succeed.
Without presenting evidence linking the blasts to the BJP, Mann suggested that the incidents were part of a broader political strategy aimed at spreading fear and polarisation. Referring to Punjab’s social fabric, he said, “Anything can germinate on the fertile land of Punjab, but seeds of hatred can never grow here.”
The BJP responded sharply, accusing the chief minister of making irresponsible and politically motivated statements before investigators had established the cause of the blasts.
At a press conference in New Delhi yesterday, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said Punjab’s sensitive location near the international border required restraint from senior leaders. “Without waiting for any investigation report, Bhagwant Mann made such a statement for political gains. It is condemnable,” Patra said. Patra also referred to comments made by Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav and claimed preliminary findings indicated possible involvement of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI. He alleged that Pakistan-backed elements had repeatedly attempted to destabilise Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir.
Another BJP spokesperson, Shehzad Poonawalla, had also accused the AAP government of failing to control rising violence in the state. He claimed incidents such as grenade attacks, gang violence and targeted killings had increased since AAP came to power in Punjab.Poonawalla also alleged that the state government was misusing the police force for political purposes instead of focusing on public safety.
