Ludhiana/Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi Thursday said as the Assembly polls draw near, some anti-national forces are trying to spread anarchy in the state.
He said this after a bomb blast in the Ludhiana district courts complex left one person dead and five injured.
The chief minister, at a public meeting in Mullanpura Dakha, sought to draw a parallel between the registration of an FIR against Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia and the blast that rocked the Ludhiana city as well as the recent alleged sacrilege bids.
He questioned as to why such a horrendous incident took place only after Majithia was cornered by the law.
Majithia (46) was on Monday booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act on the basis of a 2018 status report of a probe into the drug racket in the state.
Meanwhile, Channi visited a hospital in Ludhiana and inquired about the health of those who were injured in the blast.
Talking to reporters in Ludhiana, he said prima facie, it appears that the person who died in the incident was operating the bomb. He said the body has not been removed from the site so that the crime scene is not tempered with.
“Five people were injured in the incident and they are out of danger,” the chief minister said, terming the blast as an “unfortunate incident”.
He expressed fear that an attempt is being made to “spread anarchy” ahead of the state assembly polls.
“It seems there is an attempt to spread anarchy as the polls are nearing. Which forces, agencies or gang are behind this… Investigation is on in the case and we will get to the bottom of the case,” Channi said.
“I want to make it clear that peace will be maintained at all cost. Our police is capable of maintaining law and order… Anyone who indulges in such acts will be dealt with sternly,” he added.
Asked if it appears to be a suicide bomber and why would have this particular day been chosen, Channi said, “Sometimes it appears we are doing political talk. Ever since we started acting against the drug menace, such incidents are surfacing.”
He referred to the alleged sacrilege attempt at Golden Temple recently and another incident at a gurdwara in Kapurthala where he said “no sacrilege took place”.
Two unidentified people were lynched by angry crowd in both the cases, but the police had said that there was “no visible sign” of any sacrilege at the gurdwara in Kapurthala.
Replying to a question in Chandigarh on the alleged sacrilege bids and the Ludhiana blast, the Punjab chief minister said it was a “big conspiracy”.
He said such incidents took place in West Bengal before elections.
When the assembly elections near in Punjab, such incidents are taking place, he said.
Channi added that this (blast) incident took place the day a court in Mohali was hearing the bail plea of Majithia. He asserted that forces inimical to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the state will never succeed in their nefarious design.
At Mullanpur Dakha in Ludhiana, Channi reiterated that some “anti- Punjab” forces want to disrupt the peace of the state, and asked why all ‘beadbis’ (sacrilege) and blasts are taking place after Majithia was booked.
We are also probing this angle to the recent dastardly acts, he said, adding that just a single case has forced Majithia to go incognito and if the Akali leader has done nothing wrong, then he should come forward to face the law.
Talking to reporters in Chandigarh earlier in the day, the chief minister said, “As elections near, some anti-national and anti-state forces are trying to commit such acts and for this the government is alert and people should also be alert.”
He added that alleged sacrilege attempts were also made earlier, but they did not succeed. Now, this blast has been carried out, he said.
PTI