Punjab Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has said that two suspects have been identified behind the explosion outside Thakurdwara Temple in Amritsar’s Khandwala area in the early hours on Saturday.
“There were some miscreants who hurled a grenade at a temple after 12 am. There are no injuries or casualties… The situation is under control,” minister Dhaliwal confirmed.
He added that two suspects had been identified and assured the public that authorities were taking swift action. “The police are taking action, they will be caught within a day,” the minister said.
Two motorcycle-borne masked men were captured on CCTV footage lobbing an object, suspected to be an explosive, at the temple after 12 midnight.
According to eye witnesses, the two men were seen lobbing a suspicious object towards the temple. No injuries were reported, and police personnel rushed to the site and initiated an investigation into the incident .
Amritsar Commissioner GPS Bhullar has suggested the involvement of Pakistan Intel agency ISI in the blast.
“We got information at 2 am and rushed to the spot right away. A forensic team was called… We checked the CCTV and spoke to the nearby people. The thing is that Pakistan’s ISI lures our youth into creating disturbances in Punjab,” Commissioner Bhullar said.
The police official said, “We will trace this case within days and take appropriate action.” He also issued a stern warning to the youth, urging them not to ruin their lives. “I warn the youth not to ruin their lives… We will catch the culprits soon,” he said.
Police teams have seized the CCTV footage and according to a preliminary investigation, the youth on a motorcycle had a flag in his hands and duo stood around the temple for some time before lobbing the grenade at it.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today stated that there were many attempts to disturb the peace in the State.
“There are always many attempts to disturb the peace in Punjab. Drugs, gangsters, and extortion are part of it, and there are attempts to show that Punjab has become a disturbed state… During the festival of Holi, in other States, the police had to use lathicharge during processions. But such things do not happen in Punjab… The law and order situation in Punjab is good,” Mann said.
The Thakur Dwara Temple explosion comes after at least five people were injured after an assailant attacked people with an iron rod in the Golden Temple premises on Friday. The attack took place at Shri Guru Ramdas Sarai which is a lodging facility for pilgrims. (ANI)
