Bajwa appears before police over '50 bombs' remark; Congress backs LoP, slams AAP govt

Chandigarh: Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday appeared before police in connection with an FIR registered against him over his "50 bombs have reached Punjab" statement.

The state Congress leadership backed the veteran leader and hit out at the state's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, accusing it of misusing the state police to target opposition leaders.

Punjab Congress leaders, including state unit chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa among other party leaders, accompanied Bajwa to the Mohali Cyber Crime Police station.

While only Bajwa and his counsel were allowed inside, the leaders staged a sit-in outside the police station and raised slogans against the AAP government.

Bajwa has been booked under Sections 197(1)(d) (false and misleading information that endangers the country's sovereignty and unity) and 353(2) (false statements intended to create enmity and hatred or ill will) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.

Earlier, Congress leaders slammed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for registering a case against Bajwa, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Assembly, and also accused him of misusing police against opposition leaders.

Bajwa hit out at Mann for lodging an FIR against him and said that he was not scared.

The entire state Congress leadership came out in support of Bajwa and condemned the FIR against him. They also said that they stand by Bajwa.

Senior party leaders, including MPs, MLAs, former MLAs and party workers, assembled at the Punjab Congress headquarters here in solidarity with Bajwa.

Leaders included former Punjab chief minister and sitting Congress MP, Charanjit Singh Channi, and MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa were present.

Speaking to the media here, Punjab Congress chief Warring lashed out at the AAP government over the "deteriorating" law and order situation, alleging there was a "jungle raj" in the state.

He claimed that the Punjab Police was functioning as a "puppet" and "misusing" its powers.

"Daily incidents of loot and murders are taking place in the state. Hand grenades are being hurled," he said. Instead of improving law and order, action is taken against opposition party leaders who express concern over the current situation in the state, he added.

Warring said the action taken against Bajwa shows that the chief minister was "quite impatient".

Warring said the Congress veteran had expressed concern over the law and order situation and he took the information about the bombs from a newspaper report. He asserted that Bajwa won't be cowed down.

Replying to AAP's allegation that Bajwa had links with Pakistan, Warring said the Congress leader's father was assassinated and he escaped a bomb attack.

During the interaction with the media here before heading to Mohali, Bajwa said that the issue which he had taken up concerns everyone.

"Today, every Punjabi is worried. Blasts are taking place. Extortion calls are coming," said Bajwa.

Lashing out at the AAP government, he said he could get a copy of the FIR only after approaching the court.

The case against Bajwa was registered at the Cyber Crime Police Station in Mohali.

In an interview with a private television channel, Bajwa claimed, "I have come to know that 50 bombs have reached Punjab. Of this, 18 have exploded, 32 are yet to go off." A team of Punjab Police on Sunday visited the residence of Bajwa and questioned the source of his statement.

In a summon issued to the Congress leader, police had asked Bajwa to appear before the Mohali Superintendent of Police on Monday noon in connection with the registration of a case against him. However, Bajwa had expressed his inability to appear on Monday, saying he received the summons late Sunday.

Earlier on Tuesday, Bajwa said on X that he would visit the Cyber Cell Police Station to give his statement at 2 pm.