Chandigarh BJP office blast row: Opposition slams Punjab govt; CM Bhagwant Mann counters, says UT under Centre

CHANDIGARH: The grenade attack outside the Punjab BJP office in Sector 37, Chandigarh, on Wednesday quickly snowballed into a political blame game, with opposition leaders attacking the Punjab govt over law and order and chief minister Bhagwant Mann rejecting attempts to hold him responsible for incidents in the UT.

Reacting to BJP and SAD's criticism of Punjab, Mann took to X to accuse rivals of using "clever tactics" by blaming him for the incident, insisting Chandigarh fell under the Centre. "When I say Chandigarh belongs to Punjab, I am called a traitor. But for protests, extortion calls or a blast in Chandigarh, they hold me responsible. These clever tactics will no longer work," Mann posted in Punjabi.





Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar linked the blast to a recent string of security-related incidents in the state. "After grenade attacks on police stations and the Ambedkar statue vandalism, today the BJP office in Chandigarh was attacked. This points to attempts to disturb communal harmony," Jakhar posted on X.

AAP Punjab media in-charge Baltej Pannu called it an unfortunate and condemnable incident. However, he also criticised the BJP for indulging in immediate "blame politics". "The BJP, which has complete administrative control over Chandigarh, must take responsibility instead of shifting blame," he added.

He added deteriorating law and order in Punjab was now beginning to affect Chandigarh. BJP leader and former chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh urged authorities to ensure a swift and thorough probe.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia also reacted sharply. "It is shocking to hear about the blast outside the BJP office in Chandigarh, raising serious questions over the law and order situation," Majithia said. He also cited ecent incidents in Punjab.

Punjab Congress president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring termed the blast a matter of grave concern, saying it reflected a security and intelligence failure. "If Chandigarh, housing two governors and two chief ministers, is not safe despite such heavy security, one can imagine the situation elsewhere," Warring said.

He urged police to get to the bottom of the matter and arrest the guilty at the earliest.