CHANDIGARH, May 7: Aam Aadmi Party Punjab legislator Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Thursday expressed concern over the twin blasts in the state and launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre.
“It is a matter of concern for the whole of Punjab and India that whenever elections approach in the country or any state, incidents such as bomb blasts and terrorist attacks begin to occur,” he said.
Dhaliwal said that just before elections, the BJP-led Centre “indulges in dirty politics by intimidating the public and creating a tense atmosphere in the country to polarise votes.”
Dhaliwal referred to a series of attacks and said whether it was the Pathankot airbase attack, Pulwama, Dinanagar, or the Pahalgam attack, “our brave soldiers were martyred in all these incidents. But the biggest question is why all these incidents take place only during election periods”.
He told the media that the BJP and its “gang of goons” become active through central agencies for electoral benefits and play with people’s emotions by patronising terrorist activities.
Punjab CM gets defamation notice
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Thursday served a legal notice of defamation to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his remarks blaming the BJP for the twin blasts in Jalandhar and Amritsar and asked him to either provide proof for his claim or resign from his post.
Two back-to-back explosions near security establishments rocked Punjab on Tuesday night, triggering panic and drawing condemnation from opposition parties, which targeted the Bhagwant Mann government over the law and order issue in the state.
Mann on Wednesday held the BJP responsible for the two blast incidents, alleging this was how the party was preparing for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.
Slamming the CM for his remarks, BJP leader Chugh on Thursday said Mann has completely “undermined” the dignity of the Chief Minister’s office by accusing the BJP of involvement in bomb blasts without presenting a shred of 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 told reporters.
“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. (Agencies)
