The April 8 grenade attack on the house of a senior BJP leader in Punjab has given fresh stock of ammunition to opposition to pound the ruling AAP which is already struggling to fight several back-to-back events undermining law and order in state in the recent past. A report by Rajesh Moudgil
Punjab police’s quick action in cracking the shocking case of the April 8 hand-grenade attack at the senior BJP leader’s house in Jalandhar notwithstanding, the incident has given fresh ammunition to all the opposition parties to take on chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, afresh.
For, this grenade attack comes around a time when the Punjab police is already fighting for its image over incidents like a brutal assault of serving army officer in Patiala by its allegedly “drunk’’ 12 personnel, involvement of a woman cop, popular for her lavish lifestyle and reels on Instagram, in a drug case in Bathinda and a gruesome killing of its own sub-inspector during a violent clash involving a Sarpanch belonging to AAP in a Tarn Taran village.
Though the brave sub-inspector, Charanjit Singh, had rushed to the spot to mediate a violent clash between two groups of villagers, the dispute was said to be about 10 days old, a group of villagers, led by the accused sarpanch, snatched the service revolver from the SI and shot him dead. Head constable Harvinder Singh was also hurt in the violent clash.
It may be recalled that on April 8, last, a massive explosion occurred at the residence of senior BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia, after some unidentified miscreants lobbed a grenade at his residence. While no one was hurt, the blast badly damaged the side door and shattered the window panes.
Special Director General of Police (Special DGP), Law and Order, Arpit Shukla, said the preliminary investigations revealed the blast was masterminded by a Pak-ISI backed terror module to disrupt communal harmony in Punjab.
Meanwhile, all the opposition parties hit out at the chief minister Mann-led AAP government for such incidents and sought his resignation.
Union minister Ravneet Bittu said there is an atmosphere of fear in the state and the AAP government has lost control of the law and order situation in Punjab. “The border state has seen militancy but even during that period, grenades were not used like this as now it seems as if grenades are easily available in toy shops,” he alleged. State BJP chief Sunil Jakhar also lambasted the AAP government for the same.
Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa also took to X to say: “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…..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’’.
The SAD leader Sukhbir Badal alleged that lawlessness has crossed all bounds in Punjab. The CM must take moral responsibility for these incidents and resign immediately.
This is the 16th attack since September 24, 2024, the first being when a grenade was hurled at a Sector 10 house in Chandigarh in which involvement of gangster Happy Passia and Pakistan-based terrorist Harwinder Singh Rinda, is suspected
Nov 23, 2024: An improvised explosive device planted at Ajnala police station
Nov 29, 2024: An explosion took places near an abandoned police check post in Gurbaksh Nagar, Amritsar
Dec 2, 2024: A grenade attack attempted at Ansaro police post, Nawanshahr, though the grenade did not go off
Dec 4, 2024: A grenade explosion shattered windows of a police station in Majitha
Dec 13, 2024: A grenade thrown near Ghania Ke Bangar police station, Batala, but it did not explode
Dec 17, 2024: An explosion took place near Islamabad police station, Amritsar
Dec 18, 2024: Grenade blast reported near Bakshiwala police check post in Kalanaur, Gurdaspur
Dec 20, 2024: Grenade attack reported near Wadala Bangar police check post, Kalanaur, Gurdaspur
January 9, 2025: Grenade attack at Gumtala police Chowki, Amritsar
Jan 16, 2025: Grenade attack on house of a liquor trader Jaintipuria, Amritsar
Feb 3, 2025: Grenade attack at Fatehgarh Churian bypass police Chowki, Amritsar
Mar 15, 2025: Grenade attack on a temple in Amritsar
Mar 16, 2025: A grenade hurled on a YouTuber in Raipur Rasoolpur village, Jalandhar
April 2, 2025: Blast outside Badshahpur police post, Patiala
April 8, 2025: Grenade attack on BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia
