AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday termed the explosion in Mohali “a cowardly act” of those who want to disturb peace in Punjab and asserted that his party's government in the state will ensure the culprits get the “strictest punishment”. A rocket-propelled grenade hit the Punjab Police' intelligence wing headquarters around 7.45 pm on Monday. The explosion shattered the window panes on one of the floors of the building.
No one, however, was injured in the incident. “Mohali blast is a cowardly act of those who want to disturb the peace of Punjab. The Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) government in Punjab will not let wishes of those people be fulfilled,” Kejriwal said in a tweet in Hindi.
“Peace will be maintained under all circumstances with the cooperation of all the people of Punjab and the culprits will be given strictest punishment,” the Aam Aadmi Party leader, who is also Delhi chief minister, added. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said police were investigating the explosion while asserting that anyone trying to disturb peace and spoil the atmosphere in the state will not be spared.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said police are investigating the explosion at the Intelligence Wing headquarters of Punjab Police in Mohali and asserted that anyone trying to disturb peace in the state will not be spared.
Mann has called a meeting of senior police officials, including the Director General of Police, at his residence and also sought a report on the incident, according to official sources. “The Punjab Police is investigating the explosion in Mohali. Anybody who tries to spoil the atmosphere in Punjab will not be spared,” said Mann in a tweet in Punjabi.
Mann's statement comes a day after a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at the third floor of the highly-guarded building in sector 77 in Mohali on Monday night, following which an alert was sounded. The incident is being seen as a major intelligence failure as the office houses the state counter intelligence wing, special task force and some other units.
No one, however, was injured in the explosion, which political parties termed "disturbing" and "shocking". Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Raghav Chadha dubbed the incident as an act of cowardice and said strongest possible action will be taken against those who were behind it.
“Explosion in Mohali is an act of cowardice by those powers who want to disrupt the hard-earned peace of the state. Punjab government will not spare those involved and strongest possible action will be taken,” tweeted Chadha, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab.
Another AAP MP Sandeep Pathak said the attack was despicable. “Attack at Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali is despicable. I strongly condemn this vicious attack. The incident is being investigated by police, and not a single culprit should be spared," said Pathak in a tweet.
AAP chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said the perpetrators of the crime will not be spared. “Blast in Mohali is unfortunate however the situation is under control, matter is being investigated, the perpetrators of the crime will not be spared, nobody will be allowed to fiddle with hard earned peace and harmony. An uneasiness of anti-Punjab forces is understandable,” said Kang in a tweet.
(with inputs from PTI)
