BJP serves Punjab CM legal notice over twin blasts' allegations
What's the story
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Tarun Chugh has served a legal notice to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. The notice is in response to Mann's allegations linking the recent bomb blasts in Jalandhar and Amritsar to the BJP. The BJP claims that Mann's statements were "false, baseless and inflammatory" and lacked credible evidence. "This is precisely why legal proceedings have now been initiated against him for criminal defamation, spreading false information, and attempting to incite public unrest," Chugh said.
Accusations made
Chugh accuses Mann of undermining his office
Chugh accused Mann of undermining the dignity of his office by making unsubstantiated allegations against the BJP. He said, "CM Mann's statement directly contradicts the position taken by his own DGP. While the Punjab Police is pointing towards the involvement of Pakistan's ISI and foreign networks, the chief minister remains busy pursuing a political agenda." "The question is simple: is the chief minister safeguarding Punjab's security, or is he providing political cover to anti-national forces," he asked.
Legal demands
Legal notice demands withdrawal of statements, public apology
The legal notice demands that Mann withdraw his "defamatory and false" statements and issue an unconditional public apology within seven days. If he fails to do so, Chugh has warned of possible criminal defamation proceedings under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. The notice also asks Mann to refrain from making similar statements against the BJP in future.
Blast details
No casualties reported in Jalandhar, Amritsar blasts
The first blast took place in Jalandhar outside the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier headquarters around 8:00pm on Tuesday, when a parked delivery scooter exploded. No casualties were reported but eyewitnesses said the scooter caught fire immediately after the explosion, causing panic among people in the area. The second blast occurred near the Army camp in Amritsar's Khasa at around 11:00pm. No casualties were reported in that incident either.
Investigation underway
Punjab DGP hints at Pakistan's ISI involvement
Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav has inspected the blast sites and hinted at Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) involvement. He said, "We suspect that since the anniversary of carrying out Operation Sindoor is approaching, this is a part of Pakistan's ISI designs to cause disruptions in Punjab." An FIR has been registered and a coordinated investigation with Army and other agencies is underway.