New Delhi: BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh sent a legal notice on Thursday. Chief Minister of Punjab Bhagwant MaanDemanding an apology over his remarks allegedly linking the saffron party to the recent blast incidents in Punjab, accused him of attempting to “tarnish the reputation, credibility and public standing” of the saffron party.The BJP leader demanded that Mann immediately withdraw the statement and issue a public apology on print, electronic and social media platforms, and refrain from making any “derogatory or inflammatory” comments against the BJP or its leaders.The notice also warned that failure to comply within seven days would result in criminal prosecution for defamation, proceedings relating to the dissemination of false information and civil action seeking compensation for reputational loss.The move comes a day after back-to-back blast incidents in Amritsar and Jalandhar triggered panic in the state and triggered a political clash between the ruling AAP and the BJP.Reacting to Wednesday’s incidents, Mann had alleged that the BJP creates unrest in the states before the elections. Mann had said, “BJP’s modus operandi is that in whatever state they want to contest elections, they first create riots, small explosions and divide people on the basis of religion and caste.”He said, “This is BJP’s election preparation… Law and order will be maintained and the culprits will be given strict punishment. I want to tell BJP that Punjab has seen many dark days and now Punjabis will not tolerate this.”In a legal notice issued through lawyer Sanket Gupta, Chugh described the comments as “highly irresponsible, false, defamatory and inflammatory” and accused Mann of making the allegations “without any credible evidence”.The notice said Mann’s statement directly or indirectly accused the BJP of instigating violent incidents and this was “the most serious allegation made with reckless disregard for the truth”.It further said that the CM’s comments are in contrast to the stand taken by the Punjab Police and the state Director General of Police, who had indicated that the incidents appear to be linked to a larger “proxy war” involving foreign hostile elements and alleged ISI-backed networks.The notice defended the BJP as a “nationalist political party committed to the sovereignty, integrity and security of India” and said the party has consistently maintained a “zero-tolerance policy against terrorism.”It also claimed that Mann’s statement had caused “severe reputational damage” to the BJP and hurt the party’s “lakhs of supporters and workers” across the country.The notice accused Mann of spreading misinformation and attempting to disrupt democratic discussion. “Your statement is clearly false, politically motivated, defamatory and tarnishing the reputation, credibility and public standing of the BJP and its leadership,” it said.Also read: Bhagwant Mann blames BJP for the blasts, party threatens legal action to remove CMChugh also alleged that the remarks could incite public unrest and attract punitive consequences under the Indian Code of Justice (BNS), 2023.Controversy erupted in Punjab after two separate incidents came to light on Wednesday. A suspicious explosion was reported late night near Khasa Cantonment area in Amritsar. Hearing the explosion, police and army teams reached the spot.Amritsar SP Aditya S Warrier said bomb disposal and forensic teams have been deployed to investigate the incident site. Officials are still confirming the exact number of blasts and the cause of the incident, while samples have been sent for forensic analysis. There is no report of anyone being injured.Security agencies including forensic teams, bomb squad and dog squad cordoned off both the locations and launched a detailed investigation.These incidents came just days after an attempted blast on a railway track at Rajpura in Patiala district on April 27, in which the accused had died during the attempt. The back-to-back incidents have raised new concerns about security in the border state.

Opposition parties targeted the AAP government over the law and order situation in Punjab. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia described the incidents as “serious” and accused the government of drawing political conclusions before the investigation was completed.BJP and Congress leaders also questioned the state government over security lapses and demanded strong steps to restore public confidence. Police said both incidents are under investigation and more clarity is expected after examining the forensic reports.