The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday sent a defamation notice to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for his remarks blaming the BJP for the twin blasts in Jalandhar and Amritsar, PTI reported.
The two separate low-intensity explosions had been reported within hours of each other near military installations in Jalandhar and Amritsar on Tuesday.
The first incident took place in Jalandhar around 8 pm near the Border Security Force’s Punjab Frontier headquarters, while the second suspected low-intensity explosion was heard around 10.50 pm near the boundary wall of the Khasa cantonment area in Amritsar.
A day later, Mann claimed that the BJP was responsible for the blasts, alleging that this was how the party was preparing for the upcoming Assembly elections in the state, the news agency reported.
The elections in the state are due next year.
The Aam Aadmi Party leader alleged that the BJP was attempting to create an atmosphere of fear in the state ahead of the elections.
“The BJP is a communal party,” PTI quoted him as telling reporters. “The Assembly elections are over in West Bengal, and they [the BJP] have said that now it is Punjab’s turn, which indicates that these minor blasts are part of their preparation for the Punjab Assembly elections.”
The BJP defeated the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress in West Bengal, winning 207 Assembly seats.
On Thursday, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh served a defamation notice to Mann, demanding that he withdraw his statement and publicly apologise within seven days, The Indian Express reported.
Speaking to reporters, Chugh said that the AAP leader had completely undermined the dignity of the chief minister’s office by accusing the BJP of involvement in the blasts without presenting a shred of evidence, PTI reported.
“This is precisely why legal proceedings have now been initiated against him for criminal defamation, spreading false information, and attempting to incite public unrest,” the news agency quoted the BJP leader as saying.
Chugh added that Mann’s statement was contrary to the statement made by the director general of police.
“While the Punjab Police is pointing towards the involvement of the ISI [Inter-Services Intelligence] and foreign networks, the chief minister is busy pursuing a political agenda,” The Indian Express quoted him as saying.
The BJP leader asked if the chief minister was protecting the security of Punjab or “providing political cover to anti-national forces”.
Describing Mann’s statement as “defamatory” and “dangerous”, Chugh said that such claims could create “confusion, mistrust and social unrest” in Punjab, The Indian Express reported. He accused Mann of playing politics on matters related to national security and public order.
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