A day after a projectile loaded with an explosive substance hit the headquarters of its Intelligence Wing in Mohali, the Punjab Police has not ruled out a terror angle in the attack.
Punjab Director General of Police V. K. Bhawra said on May 10 that the explosives used, appeared to be Trinitrotoluene (TNT). No one was present in the room where the projectile hit on evening of May 9, shattering a few windowpanes.
“Investigation is under way. We have leads and very soon we will solve this case,” he said.
Responding to a question that was it a terror attack, the DGP said “whatever will come out in the investigations, we will let you know.”
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann held a high-level meeting of senior officers of the Police department on May 10. He said a few inimical forces were constantly trying to foment trouble across the State. “They would never succeed in their nefarious designs,” he added.
An official statement said the DGP apprised the Chief Minister of the developments. A few suspects had been taken into custody for further interrogation.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has come under severe criticism from Opposition parties. The incident is being seen as a major intelligence failure.
Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Congress’ Partap Singh Bajwa, said the deteriorating law and order situation in the State was alarming. “Patiala, Himachal Pradesh, Kahnuwan, and now a military grade attack on Punjab Police’s Intelligence HQ in Mohali. I urge Bhagwant Mann to review the security situation and call an all-party meeting to let us know the steps taken to maintain the peace and security in Punjab.”
Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari said on Twitter that he saw history repeating itself. “This is how it all began in 1980. It soon went completely out of Control. Within 40 months — 6th October 1983 — Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was compelled to dismiss a Congress Government led by Darbara Singh and rest is history.”
Former Minister and former State president of the BJP Manoranjan Kalia said “if Police Headquarter is not safe, there is a big question mark over the safety of the common man in Punjab under the Aam Aadmi Party regime”. He alleged that the Chief Minister had been totally complacent about security in Punjab. “The rocket attack is an alarm bell for the AAP government to be proactive, to stop those who want to disturb peace in Punjab,” he said.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Mohali blast had exposed serious security lapses and once again highlighted the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab.
