Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], April 15: Senior Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has launched a fierce attack on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, labeling him a “jumlabaaz” and “dramabaaz” while expressing serious concerns over the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
Speaking to the media, Randhawa questioned the CM’s handling of internal security, particularly in relation to recent explosive threats.
“The Chief Minister should first consult his intelligence agencies to know how many bombs have actually entered Punjab. Is this true or false?” Randhawa asked.
He further emphasized that intelligence agencies regularly issue threat alerts to both chief ministers and political leaders.
“Alerts regarding individuals on hit lists or in danger are a routine part of intelligence operations. Yet, the CM is using this issue to distract the public,” he claimed.
Criticizing Mann’s public silence on past incidents, Randhawa said:
“There have been 18 hand grenade attacks in Punjab, yet the Chief Minister has neither spoken to the press nor issued any public statement about them. It’s Punjab’s misfortune to have such a ‘dramabaaz’ CM.”
The remarks follow a controversy surrounding an FIR registered against Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa, Punjab’s Leader of Opposition, after his statements about bombs in the state.
Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring also condemned the AAP government, calling the FIR “vindictive.”
“The enthusiasm with which the FIR was registered against Bajwa suggests political revenge. The information he shared had already been published in several Punjabi newspapers,” Warring said, questioning the delay in official response earlier.
Bajwa had earlier claimed on a TV channel that 50 bombs had been smuggled into Punjab, 18 of which had already exploded, while 32 more were still unaccounted for. He defended his remarks, citing a credible source concerned for his and his family’s safety.
“I was told by a source that I’m being targeted because of my position. My family has previously been affected by terrorism, so the threat is real,” Bajwa explained.
The political climate in Punjab continues to heat up ahead of the general elections, with growing tensions between the ruling AAP and opposition Congress over governance, internal security, and political vendetta.