The explosion near Khasa Cantonment in Amritsar and the fire in a scooter in Jalandhar have sparked political anger against the Punjab government.

New Delhi: Two separate blast-like incidents within hours of each other spread panic in Punjab and triggered a political tussle on Tuesday.In Amritsar, a suspicious explosion was reported near Khasa Cantonment area around 10:50 pm. As soon as information about the sound of the explosion was received, police and army personnel reached the spot.Amritsar SP Aditya S Warrier said bomb disposal squad (BDS) and Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) teams were deployed to investigate the site and collect evidence. “We are confirming how many explosions occurred and the exact cause,” he said, adding that samples have been sent for detailed analysis. There is no information about anyone being injured in the incident.A few hours ago, a scooter was parked outside the Border Security Force in Jalandhar (bsf) A fire broke out at the Punjab Frontier Headquarters around 8 pm, with many locals claiming that they heard a loud explosion-like sound.However, police said it was too early to confirm whether it was an explosion or accidental fire. Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur said that prima facie it appears that the parked scooter caught fire, but all aspects are being investigated.The owner of the scooter, identified as Gurpreet Singh, 22, a courier delivery worker, suffered minor injuries. According to his family, he had just stepped out of the vehicle when it suddenly exploded and they suspected that some object might have been thrown at him.Security agencies, including forensic teams, bomb squads and dog squads, were deployed, and the area was cordoned off. Officials said that the youth is cooperating in the investigation.Both these incidents come days after an attempted blast on a railway track in Patiala’s Rajpura area on April 27, where the accused died during the blast attempt, raising fresh concerns over security in the border state.Opposition parties strongly criticized the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, accusing it of breakdown in law and order.Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia described the incidents as “serious” and accused authorities of jumping to conclusions without a thorough investigation, suggesting a possible cover-up.Punjab BJP leaders also hit out at the government, calling the Jalandhar incident a “scary reminder” of deteriorating security, while Congress leaders highlighted lapses in vigilance and demanded proactive steps to restore public confidence.The Punjab government has not yet issued a detailed response. Meanwhile, the police said investigation in both the cases is ongoing and clarity on the nature of the incidents is expected after examining the forensic reports.(with agency input)