Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Panic gripped Sector 37 of Chandigarh on Wednesday evening after a low-intensity explosion occurred outside the Punjab BJP office. The blast, reported around 5:00 PM, took place in the parking area adjacent to the boundary wall of the party headquarters. While the explosion caused minor damage to nearby vehicles—specifically impacting parked scooters and cars—no casualties or injuries have been reported. Senior police officials, including Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kanwardeep Kaur, immediately reached the site to cordon off the area and initiate a high-level investigation.
Initial assessments by the Chandigarh Police suggest that a small, crude explosive device was used in the attack. SSP Kaur informed reporters that teams from the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have arrived at the spot to collect evidence and determine the exact nature of the device. A video circulating on social media purportedly shows two individuals, one wearing a helmet, throwing an object resembling a plastic-cased grenade toward the office premises. Authorities are currently verifying the authenticity of this footage and checking CCTV cameras in the vicinity to identify the perpetrators.
The incident has drawn sharp criticism from Punjab BJP Chief Sunil Jakhar, who described the blast as a deliberate attempt to disturb communal harmony in the region. Jakhar pointed to a recent series of incidents, including grenade attacks on police stations in Punjab and the vandalism of a statue of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in Hoshiarpur, as evidence of a deteriorating law and order situation. He alleged that the “separatist forces” behind these attacks are now extending their reach into the capital city of Chandigarh, though he maintained that such efforts would not succeed in breaking the state’s unity.
In response to the blast, security has been significantly heightened across key installations in Chandigarh. Personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been deployed at the BJP office to strengthen the existing security grid. The Chandigarh Police have issued a city-wide alert and increased patrolling in sensitive areas as they continue their multi-agency probe. Forensic experts are working to confirm whether the device is linked to previous threats received by BJP leadership, as the city remains on high alert following this targeted attack.
