The grenade blast outside the residence of senior BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia early Tuesday has triggered an outpouring of condemnation from across the political spectrum, with opposition parties targeting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government for an “absolute breakdown of law and order” in the state.
 
Senior BJP leaders led the charge, accusing the Bhagwant Mann Government of turning Punjab into a haven for terrorists, gangsters, and anti-national elements. BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh squarely blamed Chief Minister Mann, who also holds the home portfolio, for what he called “the 17th grenade attack in just seven months”.
 
“This is not an isolated incident. The grenade culture sponsored by Pakistan’s ISI and abetted by foreign-based conspirators has taken root in Punjab. From police stations to now BJP leaders — no one is safe. If Bhagwant Mann has any sense of responsibility left, he should resign,” Chugh said.
 
Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar condemned the attack as part of a “well-planned strategy to disturb Punjab’s peace”. Jakhar, addressing the media at Jalandhar, accused AAP leaders and police commissioners of “dancing to the tunes of Delhi”, and demanded a high-level probe. “It’s not just a grenade blast; it’s an assault on Punjab’s stability,” he said.
 
Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu, who visited Kalia’s residence, said: “This is a direct attack on democracy and peace. If the CM cannot maintain order, he must step down. We will not tolerate such cowardly acts of terror.”
 
BJP spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill called the Mann Government “a security risk” for Punjab. “Instead of acting like the CM, Bhagwant Mann is behaving like Kejriwal’s OSD. The administration is busy escorting failed Delhi leaders while Punjab burns,” Shergill said in a video statement.
 
Congress leaders also expressed grave concern. Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring termed the incident “a dangerous escalation”. “The blasts are growing in frequency. Mann Sahab, wake up before it’s too late. Punjab cannot endure another dark era,” he posted on X.
 
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa echoed similar views in his social media post, stating that the grenade attack underscored a “serious lapse in law and order” and recalling how Punjab has seen successive blasts since the Mohali RPG attack in 2022.
 
Former Deputy CM and Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal, who also visited Kalia, said: “This is a conspiracy to destabilize Punjab and destroy communal harmony. The current situation eerily mirrors the buildup of the 1980s. AAP has handed over Punjab to outsiders while gangsters and drug mafias flourish.”
 
Sukhbir warned against attempts to fracture Hindu-Sikh unity and accused the police of deliberately weakening investigations, citing his own experience when attacked in Amritsar.
 
Meanwhile, AAP minister Mohinder Bhagat stirred controversy by accusing the BJP of shielding gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and insinuating the party’s hand behind the attack—a claim Sunil Jakhar slammed as “highly condemnable and irresponsible.”