Chandigarh blast: AAP blames BJP for intelligence failure in UT

A blast outside the BJP office in Chandigarh sparked a political war of words. AAP's Harpal Cheema blamed the BJP for an intelligence failure in the UT, while the BJP condemned the incident and the opposition's statements on the matter.

A day after a blast outside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Chandigarh, a political row erupted with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Minister on Thursday accusing the BJP of an intelligence failure in the Union Territory, while the ruling party hit back, terming such incidents "condemnable" and warned of strict action against the perpetrators. An explosion took place outside the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) office in Punjab's Chandigarh Sector 37 on Wednesday evening.

AAP Accuses BJP of Intelligence Failure

Speaking to ANI, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema said the blast exposed the BJP's failure to maintain law and order in Chandigarh, which is directly under the Centre's control. "The BJP is unable to handle Chandigarh. The Home Minister of the country, Amit Shah, has direct control over it. He oversees the Chandigarh Police, the law and order in Chandigarh, and receives intelligence reports. This means that the BJP government's intelligence in Chandigarh has failed," Cheema said.

Dismissing allegations against the AAP, Cheema said there is no law and order problem in Punjab, and since Chandigarh is under BJP control, murders are happening there. "There is no law and order problem in Punjab. Give Chandigarh to us, and we will set things right there too; right now it is under BJP control, and that's precisely why murders are happening here, and thuggery and crime are on the rise in Chandigarh. They are blaming us to protect themselves, but in reality, the BJP is to blame," he said.

BJP Hits Back at Opposition

Meanwhile, Haryana Cabinet Minister Ranbir Gangwa, on the sidelines of the District Grievance Redressal Committee meeting in Ambala, called the blast condemnable and said opposition parties' attempts to blame the BJP were unfortunate. "Whether it is the AAP government in Punjab or other opposition parties, making such statements is very unfortunate. Such incidents are very condemnable, and strict action will be taken against whoever is responsible for carrying it out," Gangwa said.

Gangwa was in Ambala to preside over the monthly District Grievance Redressal Committee meeting at the Panchayat Bhawan. He said 13 complaints were taken up at the meeting, of which nine were resolved on the spot, while four have been kept pending, with reports sought from officials to be taken up at the next meeting.

Police Launch Investigation

Earlier, Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur said that the blast occurred at around 5 pm outside the BJP office in Chandigarh Sector 37, adding that preliminary findings suggest the use of a "crude" explosive device. "At around 5 PM, we got information that an explosion was heard near the BJP Office in Sector 37. Our teams reached here, and prima facie it appears that a small, crude type of bomb was thrown here. NIA, FSL, Chandigarh Police, Crime Branch and Crime Cell teams have arrived here. We are investigating..." SSP Kaur told ANI. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)