Bomb blast on Patiala railway track; perpetrator dies in attempt

A man died after a detonation attempt on a railway track in Patiala's Rajpura area. Police are investigating the incident, which has sparked political criticism from Congress and SAD against the AAP government over Punjab's law and order situation.

A blast occurred on a railway track in Rajpura area of Patiala district after a detonation attempt was made late Monday night. According to Patiala Police, the person who carried out the detonation attempt died, while no other casualties or damage to property were reported.

Patiala Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Varun Sharma said that police teams are collecting scientific evidence from the site and have launched a detailed investigation in coordination with the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF). The police official said, "Patiala Police received information about a low-intensity explosion last night at a railway track at the Shambhu-Haryana border. I, along with DIG Patiala Range and other senior officers, reached the spot and assessed the situation. We came to know that this was not a low-intensity explosion but an attempted detonation. The person who was trying to carry out the attempted detonation died during it. His body has been recovered. No other casualty or damage to property occurred."

"We are gathering all the scientific evidence from the spot, including a SIM card, and kickstarting a technical investigation. We hope to unravel this entire conspiracy very soon. GRP, RPF and other agencies are being brought onboard and an investigation is being carried out. This will be completed very soon," Patiala SSP said.

Political Backlash Erupts

Meanwhile, political reactions have intensified in the state, with both the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) targeting the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over the law and order situation in Punjab.

Congress Slams AAP Government

Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring accused the AAP government of being limited to serving its own interests and prioritising its survival in the state, rather than maintaining law and order.

Raja Warring wrote on X, "Punjab has woken up to two disturbing incidents of killing of two persons in Batala and a bomb blast on the railway track between Rajpura and Shambhu in Patiala district. These are ominous indications. The hard-earned peace is at stake in Punjab. With the Aam Aadmi Party government already preoccupied to ensure its survival, it is obvious that the saboteurs and criminals are exploiting the situation."

"We have been repeatedly cautioning and warning the government against the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. Sadly, the government's priorities remain confined to its own survival rather than saving the life and property of the people of Punjab. Instead of keeping an eye on the criminals and saboteurs, the AAP government seems to be busy keeping an eye on its own MLAs for obvious reasons," the Congress leader added.

SAD Accuses CM of 'Deep Slumber'

SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal alleged that CM Bhagwant Mann was in a "deep slumber."

The SAD wrote on X, "Strongly condemn the serious intelligence failure that led to a cowardly #blast attempt on the Delhi-Rajpura railway track near Shambhu last night. It is clear that no preventive action was taken despite a specific threat being received days earlier. This comes after multiple blasts on police stations & posts, and even an RPG attack on the State Intelligence Headquarters. "Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who is also the Home Minister, must come out of his deep slumber and take urgent steps to secure vital infrastructure. His callous approach is pushing Punjab back into the old dark era, which is totally unacceptable," the post read. (ANI)

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