(PICS/PTI)
A blast occurred outside the Thakurdwara Temple in the Khandwala area of Amritsar late on Friday night, causing damage to the temple's walls and shattering its window panes. While no injuries were reported, the incident has sparked panic among local residents, police confirmed on Saturday.
According to PTI reports, CCTV footage from the temple shows two unidentified individuals arriving at the temple on a motorcycle. After waiting for a few seconds, one of the men is seen throwing a suspicious object, believed to be an explosive, towards the temple before quickly fleeing the scene.
Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar stated that the police received information about the blast around 2 am from the temple priest. Bhullar and other senior officials immediately arrived at the scene to assess the situation. A forensic team was called in to collect evidence from the site, and further investigation is underway.
Bhullar suggested that Pakistan's intelligence agency, ISI, could be involved in the incident. "We received information at 2 a.m. and reached the spot right away. After checking the CCTV footage and speaking with locals, we suspect that Pakistan's ISI is attempting to create disturbances in Punjab by influencing local youth," he said.
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Expressing confidence that the case will be solved soon, Bhullar added, "We will trace the culprits within days and take strict action. I also warn the youth not to ruin their lives by getting involved in such activities."
Punjab Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal confirmed that the police had taken control of the situation. "There were some miscreants who threw a grenade at the temple after midnight. Fortunately, there were no injuries or casualties. The situation is under control, and two suspects have already been identified. The police are in action, and the suspects will be caught within a day," Dhaliwal said.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann condemned the attack and stressed that certain elements were attempting to disturb the peace in the state. "There are always attempts to create unrest in Punjab through drugs, gangster activity, and extortion. However, the law and order situation in Punjab remains stable. Unlike other states, where violence erupted during Holi processions, Punjab remained peaceful," Mann said.
Bhullar further revealed that the youth involved in the incident were carrying a flag, which could be seen in the CCTV footage. "The two men were seen standing near the temple for some time before one of them threw the explosive device," he said.
Police teams have secured the CCTV footage and are working to identify the attackers. Bhullar reiterated that swift action would be taken to prevent any further threats to public safety.
Notably, Amritsar and Gurdaspur have witnessed several explosions targeting police posts over the past four months, raising concerns about the security situation in Punjab.
The explosion at the Thakurdwara Temple comes just a day after an attack at the Golden Temple premises, where an assailant injured five people using an iron rod at Shri Guru Ramdas Sarai, a lodging facility for pilgrims.
(With inputs from Agencies)
