Partap Bajwa engaging in fearmongering, demoralising police: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann

Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday hit out leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa, stating that he was engaging in fearmongering and trying to demoralise the state police with unverified bomb threats.

Bajwa had claimed in an interview to a private television channel, that he had information that 50 bombs had reached Punjab, out of which, 18 have exploded, 32 are yet to go off.

CM Mann, who was speaking at the inauguration event of a School of Eminence in Sangrur’s Chhajli village, urged Bajwa to come clean on his claims. “If he knows where the bombs are placed, he should expose it publicly. Or is he simply trying to scare people and malign the image of Punjab?” the CM asked.

“Punjab Police are arresting criminals and recovering weapons on a daily basis. Instead of appreciating them, Bajwa is demoralising our brave men and women in uniform. If he thinks they’re not capable, why does he walk around with police gunmen?”

Farmers clash with police

Two hours before the CM’s arrival in Chhajli village, around 25 km from Sangrur in the Sunam sub-division, protesting farmers clashed with police personnel as they attempted to move closer to the inauguration venue.

The farmers, led by members of the Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Azad), were planning to question the CM directly about unresolved agricultural and policy issues. However, they were blocked by heavy police barricades, leading to a tense face-off. When protestors tried to breach the barriers, a heated clash ensued. Police, deployed in significant numbers, managed to contain the situation, resulting in a standoff that lasted several hours.

Notably, BKU (Ekta Azad) broke away from BKU (Ekta Ugrahan), Punjab’s largest and most influential farmer union in February 2023 citing ideological and strategic differences.

Despite the unrest, CM Mann continued with the inauguration of the School of Eminence. He later travelled to Sangrur to inaugurate the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET).

Following the Chief Minister’s departure from Chhajli, the protesting farmers gradually dispersed. No injuries or arrests were reported.