The political landscape in Punjab witnessed a dramatic escalation this week following the explosive claims made by Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa. In a televised interview, Bajwa asserted that 50 bombs had been smuggled into the border state, with 18 already having exploded in recent months. The statement, which sparked a wave of concern over Punjab’s deteriorating law and order situation, led to swift legal and political retaliation from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led state government.
Partap Singh Bajwa was booked under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for allegedly providing false and misleading information that could endanger the country’s sovereignty and create communal discord. Punjab Police reached his residence in Chandigarh with summons and questioned him about the source of his information. However, Partap Singh Bajwa refused to disclose his sources, citing constitutional responsibilities and the need to protect informants.
Reacting sharply, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann accused Bajwa of spreading panic and demanded to know whether the Congress leader had “direct links with Pakistan.”
Mann claimed that neither Punjab Police nor central intelligence agencies had any information corroborating Bajwa’s statement and warned of serious consequences if his claims were found to be baseless.
The Congress party quickly came to Partap Singh Bajwa’s defense, launching a scathing attack on the AAP leadership.
Congress communication chief Jairam Ramesh stated, “Instead of taking the warning seriously, the Chief Minister accused Mr. Bajwa who has lost family to terrorism of links with terrorist groups. A counter-intelligence team was sent to his home, and he now faces criminal charges under new draconian laws.”
In a televised interview yesterday, the Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa revealed that 50 hand grenades had been smuggled into the state. His statement was based on widely reported news in the media and came in the wake of nearly 16 grenade…
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 14, 2025
Jairam Ramesh further accused the AAP government of being “a bundle of insecurity and incompetence,” and claimed that governance in Punjab had completely collapsed under Mann’s watch. He asserted that Bajwa’s statement was based on a series of media-reported grenade attacks across the state over the past six months and criticized the AAP regime for resorting to “intimidation, smear, and threats” to suppress dissent.
This episode has exposed the deepening fissures between the Congress and AAP, two parties already at odds both in Punjab and on the national stage. The incident has become a flashpoint in an ongoing war of words, as both parties accuse each other of incompetence, fear-mongering, and political opportunism.
