Explosion at BJP Leader's Residence: Punjab Official Accuses Gangster Bishnoi of ‘Terror Activities’

Chandigarh, April 8 (NationPress) Just hours after an explosion occurred outside the residence of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former minister Manoranjan Kalia in Jalandhar, Punjab minister Mohinder Bhagat on Tuesday pointed fingers at gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, currently imprisoned in Sabarmati Jail, Gujarat, accusing him of orchestrating 'terror activities' in collaboration with Pakistan.

"We have just returned after checking on the health of Kalia-ji. Our discussions were positive, and the police are on the case," Bhagat stated to the press in Jalandhar.

"The reality is that Lawrence Bishnoi is behind these activities in Punjab, working with Pakistan. He is also receiving full protection from the Central-led BJP government in Sabarmati Jail, Ahmedabad."

"Everyone knows the nature of Bishnoi's ties with Pakistan," he further remarked.

Bishnoi, who has been incarcerated since 2015, is the main suspect in the high-profile murder of Sidhu Moosewala, a well-known Punjabi singer shot dead near his village in May 2022, as well as the assassination of Nationalist Congress Party politician Baba Siddique in Mumbai last October.

Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu also arrived in Jalandhar to check on the well-being of senior party leader Kalia.

"The law and order situation in Punjab is rapidly declining, with alarming incidents targeting a specific political party. We strongly denounce this cowardly attack and urge an independent, time-bound investigation by central agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice," he told reporters.

Fortunately, former Cabinet Minister and state unit president Kalia was unharmed in the explosion. Police teams quickly deployed at Kalia's home after the event. Forensic experts are collecting evidence from the scene.

CCTV footage captured an individual on an e-rickshaw throwing an object and then fleeing in the vehicle. Police believe the explosive, possibly a grenade, was tossed in front of Kalia's residence around 1 a.m.

"I was asleep and thought it was thunder. Later, I learned there had been an explosion. The CCTV footage is under review, and forensic experts are on-site," Kalia informed the media.

Commissioner of Police Dhanpreet Kaur, who arrived at the scene, stated: "Around 1 a.m., we received reports of the explosion. We initiated an investigation and the forensic team is currently assessing the situation... We are also reviewing the CCTV footage. The forensic team is working to determine if it was a grenade attack or something else."

When asked if it was a hand grenade attack, she confirmed that the forensic team has gathered samples from the area.

"We will share any information we uncover," she added.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Manpreet Singh mentioned that forensic teams would analyze the evidence and provide a report.

Since November 2024, there have been ten explosions reported outside police facilities in the state, primarily in Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts. Recently, a blast occurred outside a temple in Amritsar.

In the meantime, the Punjab Police's Anti-Gangster Task Force claimed on Tuesday to have arrested two key operatives from the Bishnoi-Rohit Godara gang, Jashan Sandhu and Gursewak Singh from Mohali.

Sandhu, wanted in a murder case from 2023 in Ganganagar, Rajasthan, had been evading capture by frequently changing locations across Georgia, Azerbaijan, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai. After arriving in Nepal from Dubai, he entered India by road in a bid to escape law enforcement, as per DGP Gaurav Yadav's statement on X.

Initial investigations indicate that Sandhu played a vital role in providing logistical support to the gang. His questioning has led to the identification of overseas Hawala operators, travel agents, and locations of fugitive gangsters hiding abroad, a significant development in dismantling these networks, he added.