New Delhi [India], May 6 (ANI): Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha on Wednesday condemned the twin explosions in Punjab and launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's response to the incidents, declaring that by attributing the blasts to domestic political conspiracies rather than external threats, the Chief Minister is 'directly promoting the ISI's narrative' regarding the state's security.

'In the past few hours, two bomb blasts have occurred in Punjab--one in Jalandhar and the other in Amritsar. We condemn this. The situation is very sensitive and worrying, and these bomb blasts are a clear attempt to disrupt the peace and tranquillity of Punjab. Punjab's DGP, after visiting the crime scene and conducting a thorough investigation with forensic experts, concluded in his initial investigation that Pakistan's ISI was behind this incident. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of Punjab is stating that the BJP is behind this incident, not Pakistan's ISI. So, I want to ask directly: why does Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann want to give a clean chit to Pakistan's ISI? Has his enmity with the BJP become so intense that they have to go and sit in the lap of Pakistan's ISI? We often see that whenever the ISI carries out an attack, it then distances itself from it, claiming it was a false flag operation and had nothing to do with it. Today, Bhagwant Mann is directly promoting the ISI's narrative. Mann is echoing what the ISI says, which is very dangerous...' said Chadha.

Speaking to reporters, Chadha urged Mann to assess the current security situation in Punjab and prioritise the restoration of law and order in the state.

'I would request the CM to put aside his love for Pakistan and assess the situation in Punjab and work on restoring law and order there. He should work on bringing this investigation to a conclusion and take the people of his state into confidence, rather than making such irresponsible statements,' added Chadha.

Chadha's remarks came after Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann termed the recent explosions in Amritsar and Jalandhar a part of a 'larger effort' by the BJP to instigate violence in the state ahead of the upcoming elections.

Addressing the media, he alleged, 'Investigation is underway into these minor blasts. This is the BJP's preparation for the Punjab elections. BJP gets votes by spreading violence and fear among people. I want to tell the BJP to stop. The people of Punjab always want peace. Wherever the BJP has to contest elections, it goes there and creates fights.'

Earlier, Punjab witnessed two consecutive blasts on Tuesday in Jalandhar and Amritsar, respectively, with no injuries reported.

Jalandhar saw the first blast after a scooter caught fire around 8 pm outside the Border Security Force (BSF) Punjab Frontier headquarters.

Hours later, another blast occurred in Khasa near the cantonment area in Amritsar at around 10:50 pm, prompting a swift response from police and security agencies.

Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav later inspected the sites of the recent low-intensity blasts reported from Amritsar and Jalandhar, and indicated the involvement of Pakistan-backed elements in these blasts.

Addressing the media after visiting the spot at the Khassa cantonment boundary wall in Amritsar, the DGP said the incident appears to be part of Pakistan's 'ISI-design' to create unrest in Punjab.

'We suspect that since the anniversary of carrying out Operation Sindoor is approaching, this is a part of Pakistan's ISI designs to cause disruptions in Punjab,' he said.

The DGP further stated that an FIR has been registered under relevant sections of law and that a coordinated investigation is underway with the Army and other agencies. Multiple teams are examining human intelligence, technical inputs and forensic evidence to establish the exact nature and origin of the blasts.

'Today I visited Amritsar. Yesterday, a low-intensity explosion took place in the army area. I visited that crime scene... A low-intensity explosion was reported from the boundary wall of the army camp located at Khassa cantonment. After that, senior officers of Punjab Bomb Disposal Squads, Punjab Police and Forensic Experts were called to the spot, and after sanitising the area completely, samples from the exhibits were collected for scientific examination,' he said.

Following the incident, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday morning moved to secure forensic evidence and gather information from the sites of the recent blast in Punjab. The team will assist state authorities in investigating the explosion, the sources said.

According to the sources, the National Investigation Agency teams are currently en route to the blast sites in Jalandhar and Amritsar, where they are expected to arrive shortly to gather information and assist the Punjab Police in the investigation. (ANI)