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Chandigarh blast: Mann can’t distance himself from security lapse, says BJP
The explosion occurred around 5 pm on Wednesday when a suspected crude explosive device was hurled near the office. No casualties were reported, but the incident triggered panic in the area.
A blast near the Punjab BJP headquarters in Chandigarh triggered a political row. Party’s state working president Ashwani Sharma said that chief minister Bhagwant Mann cannot distance himself from the security lapse surrounding the incident.
The explosion occurred around 5 pm on Wednesday when a suspected crude explosive device was hurled near the office. No casualties were reported, but the incident triggered panic in the area.
Addressing a press conference here on Thursday, Sharma flayed CM Mann, holding him accountable for the incident. Sharma said the responsibility for securing the BJP office lies with the Punjab Police, supported by the CRPF, and questioned how the CM could distance himself from such a serious lapse.
Sharma also termed Mann’s remarks—accusing opposition parties of unfairly blaming him for various incidents in Chandigarh, including protests, agitations and even the explosion—as “mocking” and “insensitive”.
Raising broader concerns, Sharma alleged a sharp decline in law and order in Punjab, citing incidents such as the killing of Sidhu Moosewala, attacks on police establishments, gang violence and vandalism of BR Ambedkar’s statues. He claimed that rising criminal activity and extremist elements indicate governance failure.
He said that despite such attacks, BJP workers will not be intimidated, attributing the incident to anti-national forces unsettled by the party’s growing support in Punjab.
