Punjab twin blasts: Top cop raises Pak angle, contradicts CM Mann's BJP link claim

While Punjab's Director General of Police said the blasts were part of a design by Pakistan to cause disturbance, Bhagwant Mann alleged a BJP hand in the attacks. Punjab Police and central agencies have launched an intensive probe, and security has been tightened across the state. No casualties have been reported.

In Short

• Two explosions occurred in Jalandhar and Amritsar with no casualties
• Punjab Police and central agencies launched intensive probe
• Maan alleges BJP uses such incidents for electoral gains

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the state’s top cop struck sharply divergent notes on Wednesday after twin blasts near BSF installations, with Mann alleging a BJP hand while the Director General of Police pointed to a Pakistan-backed design to cause disturbance.

The remarks came after two back-to-back explosions rocked areas near Border Security Force (BSF) installations in Jalandhar and Amritsar, including one close to the BSF headquarters. While Mann framed the blasts as part of a larger political design ahead of elections, the DGP attributed them to cross-border elements.

Punjab Police and central agencies have launched an intensive probe, and security has been heightened across the state. No casualties have been reported.

Mann alleged that “wherever the BJP wants to contest, such incidents happen,” and called on the party to “stop such acts,” claiming the blasts were part of its preparations for Punjab.

He was referring to a tweet by the BJP’s Punjab handle, posted shortly before the saffron wave swept Bengal, which simply read, “Next Punjab.” The two words were enough to signal the party’s shift in focus to next year’s Punjab polls.

Mann’s remarks have drawn flak from both the Congress and the BJP, with the saffron party asking the Chief Minister to resign and seek mental treatment.

"It seems the Chief Minister’s mental state is not stable; he should resign and seek proper treatment. Punjab is a border state, and you have completely failed to manage it. By hurling mud at the BJP, you are indulging in dirty politics, which reflects your poor thinking," BJP's Ashwani Sharma tweeted.

On the other hand, Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa called Mann’s attempt to blame the BJP “amateurish politics.”

Meanwhile, DGP Gaurav Yadav warned of attempts to create a false narrative that Punjab is disturbed, alleging that a handful of elements were acting at the behest of Pakistan's ISI.

“Khalistan Liberation Army (KLA) claims are being verified. This was an IED -- most likely a timed or wired explosion. Both the Jalandhar and Amritsar blasts were IEDs. The ISI is creating a false narrative. Certain elements are trying to project that Punjab is disturbed; a handful are acting at the behest of the ISI. We received information about the explosion in Amritsar’s Khasa area at around 10:50 pm yesterday,” DGP Gaurav Yadav told India Today.

Two explosions were reported in Punjab on Tuesday, with the first near the BSF headquarters at BSF Chowk in Jalandhar and the second later at night outside an Army camp in Amritsar’s Khasa area near BSF installations. Officials said the details of both incidents were still being verified.

In Jalandhar, a parked scooter exploded in a busy locality near the BSF headquarters. Eyewitnesses said the scooter caught fire moments after the blast, triggering panic as people in the area ran for safety.

Hours later, a second explosion took place in the Khasa area of Amritsar outside an Army camp located near BSF installations. Preliminary suspicion points to a motorcycle-borne assailant allegedly hurling a grenade at the site. The area is around 15 kilometres from the Attari-Wagah international border.

Amritsar Rural Police SP Aditya Warrier said the blast took place between 10.30 pm and 11 pm outside the Army camp. He said police and Army personnel were rushed to the spot immediately. “We are verifying the exact details. Forensic teams are also at the site and all aspects are being examined,” he said.

CCTV footage from Jalandhar accessed by India Today showed the moment of the explosion, with flames erupting instantly and debris scattering across the road. A man standing near the scooter was seen running away immediately after the blast. Officials suspect some of the scattered fragments could be parts of the scooter itself.

Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said it was too early to draw any conclusions. “Prima facie, the facts are that a scooter parked here caught fire. We are still verifying the situation on the ground,” she said. She added that the scooter driver and another individual were being questioned, while CCTV footage from the area was being examined to determine the sequence of events.

Officials in both Jalandhar and Amritsar said they were continuing to verify the circumstances of the blasts, with forensic teams examining the sites and investigators reviewing available footage and questioning those linked to the Jalandhar incident.

- Ends
Inouts from Kamajit Kaur Sandhu