Explosion at Punjab BJP Leaders House! CM Mann Under Pressure
Grenade Shock at BJP Leader’s Home: Punjab Opposition Demands CM’s Head
A midnight explosion rocked the residence of Punjab BJP heavyweight Manoranjan Kalia in Jalandhar early Tuesday, sending shockwaves through the state’s political landscape.
The blast, suspected to be a hand-grenade attack, tore through an aluminum partition, shattered windows, and damaged Kalia’s SUV and motorcycle in his courtyard. Miraculously, no one was injured, but the incident has ignited a firestorm of criticism against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, with opposition leaders baying for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s resignation.
Kalia, a former Cabinet minister and BJP national executive member, was asleep when the deafening blast jolted his home near Shastri Market at around 1 a.m. “It was so severe that it felt like a war zone,” Kalia told reporters, pointing to the wreckage of his kitchen windows and a bathroom door. A small crater at his entrance hinted at the explosive’s force. “I thought it was a transformer blast at first,” he said, “until my driver confirmed it was something far worse.”
CCTV footage captured the chilling prelude: an e-rickshaw passing by, only to return moments later as sparks and smoke erupted. A startled street dog bolted from the scene, a silent witness to the chaos. BJP district president Sushil Sharma alleged that unidentified assailants in the e-rickshaw hurled the grenade, striking a blow at one of Punjab’s most prominent political figures.
This isn’t Punjab’s first brush with explosives in recent months—police posts in Amritsar and Gurdaspur, and even a temple, have faced similar attacks. But targeting a senior politician’s home marks a bold escalation. Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur, flanked by forensic teams, descended on the site. “We’re analyzing CCTV trails and have beefed up security at key locations,” she said, sidestepping confirmation of a grenade until forensic results are in.
The opposition wasted no time turning the blast into a political Molotov cocktail. BJP’s Tarun Chugh called it “a chilling reminder of Punjab’s descent into anarchy” under Mann, who doubles as Home Minister. “From RPGs on police HQs to grenade attacks on leaders, this is a conspiracy to destabilize the state,” he thundered on X, demanding Mann’s immediate exit. Shiromani Akali Dal’s Sukhbir Singh Badal echoed the sentiment, slamming AAP’s “inability to grip the lawlessness” plaguing Punjab. Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa joined the chorus, painting Mann as a captain asleep at the wheel.
Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu, visiting Kalia, didn’t mince words: “This was a planned hit on a Hindu leader. Grenades in Punjab? We’re not in Srinagar or Naxal territory—yet.” Meanwhile, AAP’s Mohinder Bhagat and Pawan Kumar Tinu rushed to Kalia’s side, blaming “miscreants jealous of Punjab’s progress” and vowing justice. “We won’t let peace be derailed,” Bhagat insisted.
Kalia, shaken but defiant, recounted his futile attempts to reach police—located just 100 meters away—before sending his gunman to fetch them. The incident has left Punjab on edge, with questions swirling: Who’s behind this audacious attack, and is the state teetering on the brink of something darker? For now, the forensic team’s findings may hold the key, but the political fallout is already explosive.
