Punjab: Suspect hurls grenade-like object outside BJP office before blast

New Delhi: An explosion outside the Punjab unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters in Chandigarh on Wednesday night triggered panic in the area, with police confirming that an improvised explosive device appeared to have been thrown at the spot. No injuries were reported.The explosion occurred outside the party office in District 37 at around 5 p.m. According to police officials, preliminary findings indicate that a small improvised device was thrown at the premises. Video circulating at the scene showed a suspect throwing a blue, grenade-like object before fleeing, and an explosion was heard shortly after.Senior Superintendent of Police Kanwardeep Kaur said that shortly after the incident, authorities received reports of an “explosion-like sound” coming from near the BJP office. “On the face of it, it appears that a small rudimentary device was thrown,” she told reporters, adding that multiple teams had been deployed to investigate.Officers from the local crime department and action teams arrived at the scene soon after the explosion. A team from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory was also sent to examine the scene, while officials from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) also joined the investigation.The explosion caused damage to a motorcycle parked outside the building, but no injuries were reported. Vineet Joshi, the official media chief of the Bharatiya Janata Party, said the incident was deeply worrying. “We can see some signs on the border wall. Only the police can provide the details,” he said.