New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Thursday addressed chief minister of punjab Bhagwant Mann has sought an apology for his remarks that allegedly linked the saffron party to the recent bombings in Punjab, accusing him of trying to “tarnish the reputation, credibility and public standing” of the saffron party.The BJP leader asked Mann to immediately withdraw the remarks and issue a public apology on print, electronic and social media platforms and refrain from making any further “defamatory or inflammatory” remarks against the BJP or its leaders.The notice also warns that failure to comply within seven days will result in criminal prosecution for defamation, litigation related to the spread of false information and civil proceedings seeking compensation for reputational damage.A day earlier, successive explosions in Amritsar and Jalandhar triggered panic in the state and triggered a political confrontation between the ruling AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party.Reacting to Wednesday’s incident, Mann alleged that the BJP was creating unrest in states ahead of the elections. “This is the way the BJP works in any state where it wants to contest elections, they start by creating riots, carrying out small bombings and dividing people on the basis of religion and caste,” Mann said.“This is the election preparation of the BJP… Law and order will be maintained and the guilty will be severely punished. I want to tell the BJP that Punjab has gone through many dark days and now Punjabis will not tolerate this,” he added.In a legal notice issued by lawyer Sanket Gupta, Chugh called the comments “highly irresponsible, false, defamatory and inflammatory” and accused Mann of making the accusation “without any credible evidence”.Mann’s statement, which directly or indirectly accused the BJP of orchestrating the violence, constituted “the most serious allegation with a disregard for the truth,” the notice said.The report further stated that the chief minister’s remarks contradicted the stance of the Punjab Police and the state’s Inspector General of Police, who said the incidents appeared to be linked to a larger “proxy war” involving foreign hostile elements and the alleged ISI-backed network.The notification defended the BJP as a “nationalist party committed to the sovereignty, integrity and security of India” and said the party has always adhered to a “zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism”.It also claimed Mann’s comments had caused “serious reputational damage” to the BJP and harmed the party’s “millions of supporters and workers” across the country.The notice accuses Mann of trying to spread misinformation and disrupt democratic discourse. “Your remarks are patently false, politically motivated, defamatory in themselves and tarnish the reputation, credibility and public standing of the BJP and its leadership,” it said.Also read: Bhagwant Mann accuses BJP of bombings, party threatens legal action to oust CMChugh also claimed that the remarks could cause public disorder and attract criminal consequences under the Indian Act 2023 (BNS).The controversy erupted after two separate incidents were reported in Punjab on Wednesday. In Amritsar, a suspected explosion was reported late at night near the Kasa Cantonment area. Police and Army personnel rushed to the spot after hearing the explosion.Amritsar SP Aditya S Warrier said bomb disposal and forensic teams have been deployed to examine the scene. Authorities are still verifying the exact number of explosions and the cause of the incident, while samples have been sent for forensic analysis. No injuries were reported.Security agencies, including forensic teams, bomb squads and dog squads, cordoned off both locations and launched detailed investigations.Just a few days before these incidents, on April 27, an attempted blast occurred on a railway track in Rajpura, Patiala district, in which the accused died. The spate of incidents has raised new concerns about security in border states.
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Opposition parties have targeted the AAP government over the law and order situation in Punjab. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia called the incidents “serious” and accused the government of jumping to political conclusions before investigations were completed.Leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress also raised questions about security lapses in state governments and demanded stronger measures to restore public confidence. Police said investigations into both incidents were ongoing and more clarity was expected after examining forensic reports.
