Crime Today News
Chandigarh: A “blast” took place at the residence of BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia in Punjab’s Jalandhar district, causing panic in the area.
Police arrested two persons and said it was a conspiracy of Pakistan’s spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), to create communal tension in Punjab.
A “loud sound” was heard at around 1 am at the residence of Kalia near Shastri Market in Jalandhar. No one was hurt, said deputy commissioner of police Manpreet Singh.
Was asleep when blast occurred: BJP leader
Speaking to reporters, Kalia said he was asleep when the blast occurred. “The grenade attack was so severe that the partition in the house was severely damaged. The window glass of the kitchen was damaged. A bathroom door was damaged,” said Kalia.
There was some damage to the floor of the entrance and his SUV as well.
He said he initially thought there was a blast in the electric transformer because of overloading. His driver then told him it was a blast. Thereafter, he called the police but nobody picked up the phone, he said. Then he sent his gunman to the police station, Kalia added.
Kalia is a former Cabinet minister and former president of Punjab BJP. He is also a member of the BJP’s national executive.
Oppn slams AAP govt
Opposition parties slammed the AAP government over the hand grenade blast, saying it is a “chilling reminder” of the “complete collapse” of law and order and demanded CM Bhagwant Mann’s resignation on moral grounds.
They also alleged that the Punjab government of trying to wash its hands off its “incompetency, culpability and dereliction of duty”. They claimed the blast occurred due to the “criminal negligence” on the part of the Punjab Police’s intelligence, as well as the DGP and state home minister.
BJP Jalandhar district president Sushil Sharma said some unidentified persons came in an e-rickshaw and threw a “hand grenade” towards the leader’s residence.
Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar also slammed the AAP government for the blast incident. He pointed out that a total of 14 explosion incidents have taken place in the past few months, while raising questions over the law and order situation in the state.
“I hold the CM and the DGP personally accountable. How could they allow this to happen?” he asked and alleged that both should resign.
Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu alleged that it appeared to be a “well-planned conspiracy” against a senior and Hindu leader.
Punjab BJP held protests at many places against the AAP government and shouted slogans against the Mann regime.
Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly and Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa also hit out at the chief minister over the incident.
“The grenade attack on Shri Manoranjan Kalia’s residence is a stark reminder of the escalating violence in Punjab under CM @BhagwantMann’s tenure. Since he assumed office, there have been multiple blasts, including the Mohali RPG attack in May 2022 and the series of grenade attacks on police stations in late 2024. This pattern underscores a significant lapse in maintaining law and order. If the Chief Minister @BhagwantMann cannot ensure the safety of citizens, he should step down,” said Bajwa.
There have been many incidents of explosions targeting police posts in Amritsar and Gurdaspur in the past four to five months. Last month, a blast occurred outside a temple in Amritsar.
(With PTI inputs)
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