Chandigarh, May 6
The political firestorm over Punjab’s recent blasts escalated on Tuesday as Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu dared Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to either substantiate his explosive charge against the BJP—or apologise before the people of Punjab.
Flanked by BJP Punjab Media Head Vineet Joshi, Bittu declared, “If the Chief Minister has proof, let him direct the police to register FIRs against BJP leaders and place the evidence before the public. If not, he must apologise for misleading Punjabis.”
Bittu underscored that Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav has already pointed to Pakistan’s ISI in connection with the blasts, while Mann continues to hurl political accusations. “After Operation Sindoor, the nation stood united. But the CM’s remarks linking BJP to the blasts are serious, unfortunate, and divisive,” he said.
The Union Minister also flagged past attacks on BJP leaders, including the assault at Manoranjan Kalia’s Jalandhar residence, questioning the lack of arrests and progress in investigations. He accused the Mann government of presiding over a collapse in law and order, citing a surge in killings and explosions, and warned that the BJP would seek legal recourse if Mann fails to produce evidence.
Echoing Bittu, Vineet Joshi charged the AAP government with “baseless allegations” and “political blame games” to mask governance failures. “The public now sees through this diversionary rhetoric,” Joshi said.
With Mann’s defiance clashing against the BJP’s ultimatum, Punjab’s political battlefield has turned incendiary—pitting allegation against accountability, rhetoric against rule of law.
