Channi questions agencies over blast near BJP office

Jalandhar: Former Punjab chief minister and Jalandhar Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi on Thursday raised questions over the blast outside the BJP office in Chandigarh, alleging that the BJP and the Centre could not escape responsibility for law and order in the Union Territory.

Speaking to mediapersons during the inauguration of his new house in Jalandhar, Channi said Chandigarh was directly under the control of the Centre and questioned how such an incident could take place there.


He said the BJP often claims it can ensure peace in Punjab, but "there is no peace in Chandigarh itself and bombs are going off there".

Sharpening his attack, Channi said, "If they can stop all this, then why are they not stopping it in Chandigarh — are the agencies themselves getting this done?" He added that this was his allegation and questioned whether the BJP was failing, or unwilling, to restore peace.

Channi also attacked the AAP govt in Punjab, alleging that the state had been pushed into a difficult situation on every front. He said serious crimes such as robberies and murders had risen sharply and termed the AAP dispensation an "incompetent government".