'Do you have relations with Pakistan?': Bhagwant Mann attacks Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa over '50 bombs, 32 remain to explode' remark

Navjeevan Gopal / TNN / Updated: Apr 13, 2025, 17:57 IST

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A controversy has erupted in Punjab after Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa claimed that 50 bombs had reached the state, with 18 already exploded. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann demanded Bajwa reveal his source, questioning if he had ties to Pakistan.

'Do you have relations with Pakistan?': Bhagwant Mann attacks Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa over '50 bombs, 32 remain to explode' remark

CHANDIGARH: Amid a series of grenade blasts in Punjab in recent months, a major controversy erupted on Sunday as a two-member team of Punjab Police reached the residence of the leader of the opposition and Congress MLA, Partap Singh Bajwa, to question him after chief minister Bhagwant Mann took strong exception to remarks made by Bajwa in a TV interview.

In the interview, Bajwa said, “I know that 50 bombs have reached Punjab. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann is the home minister; I have no idea if he has any knowledge or not. Of them, 18 have exploded and 32 remain to explode.�?br/>In response, chief minister Bhagwant Mann demanded Bajwa reveal the source of his information, questioning whether he "had direct relations with Pakistan" or made the claim to spread fear. Mann warned that if Bajwa made the statement just to create panic, it was a serious crime and would invite strict action.

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Punjab Police's Assistant Inspector General (AIG) of Intelligence Ravjot Kaur Grewal and Mohali City Superintendent of Police Harbir Atwal visited Bajwa’s home. Grewal told TOI that Bajwa was questioned for about half an hour but “did not cooperate.�?br/> “In a TV interview, Bajwa Sahib said that 50 grenades had reached Punjab, out of which 32 are in circulation and 18 have exploded. This is very sensitive information related to national security. We went to question him about the source of this information and if any other persons were involved. But, he did not cooperate with us during the questioning,�?Grewal said.
Bajwa told the media he “cooperated�?with police, stood by his statement, and would not reveal his sources.
Calling it a serious issue, CM Mann said in a video: “The leader of the opposition has given a statement that 50 bombs have reached Punjab, 18 have exploded, and 32 remain to explode. I want to ask Bajwa Sahib where he got this information from. Do you have direct relations with Pakistan?
"Do the terrorists who sent the bombs, or any of their agencies, directly tell you through phone calls that 50 bombs have reached, 18 exploded, and 32 remain? What is your source of information because no such information is available with Punjab intelligence, nor has any agency of the nation shared such news with us? So, on what basis can you say that 32 bombs remain and 18 have exploded? This means, somewhere, you have direct relations with Pakistan. Share the information with us; this is your duty.�?br/> Mann further said, “Or are you waiting for the (remaining) bombs to explode so you can capitalize on it politically? If you don’t have any information and gave this statement just to spread panic in Punjab, it is a very serious crime. We will take strict action against you.�?br/> He also asked the Congress party to clarify Bajwa’s remarks.
“Congress should tell us if it is in cahoots with anti-national forces. The national leaders of Congress should clarify Bajwa’s statement,�?Mann said.
“I have given strict orders to the police to go to Bajwa and make him identify the places where the bombs are lying,�?Mann added, warning of action if the remarks were made irresponsibly.
Speaking to reporters after the police visit, Bajwa said, “I am a four-time MLA, have been a cabinet minister with four chief ministers, and have been a Lok Sabha MP and Rajya Sabha member. I have my sources in Punjab and in the Centre. My sources told me that 50 bombs had reached Punjab, and 18 bombs had exploded in border areas and police stations. I cannot reveal my sources.�?br/> Bajwa said his family was a “terrorist victim”—his father was killed in 1987 and he himself survived a bomb attack in 1990 in Batala. He said his sources had warned him to stay cautious, citing a “sensitive situation�?in Punjab.
He said while CM Mann was “very young�?during the terrorism period in Punjab, over 35,000 families affected by that era were concerned about the worsening situation.
Bajwa said BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia’s Jalandhar home was recently attacked with a grenade, yet his own source warned him to stay alert “since our party (Congress) is neither in power at the Centre nor in the State, making us more vulnerable.�?br/> Referring to previous attacks on police buildings and the Punjab police HQ, Bajwa alleged a “big intelligence failure�?in the state. “Why should I reveal my sources?�?he asked.
He concluded, “In the future, if I have any information that could help the police, intelligence, or Punjabis, I would be more than willing to share.�?br/> He said he fully cooperated with the police officers who came to question him.