Chandigarh, Apr 1 (PTI) A blast outside the Punjab BJP headquarters here Wednesday evening sent people panicking, with police saying a “crude” device appeared to have been hurled. No casualties were reported.

A team of the National Investigation Agency was at the site to investigate the blast, which occurred at around 5 pm, a police officer said.

The BJP’s state unit chief Sunil Jakhar dubbed it an “attack” at the party office.

Meanwhile, a video surfaced on social media showing a person wearing a helmet throwing a grenade-like object while another recorded the act.

After the object was hurled, both started running, followed by the sound of a blast.

Their faces were not visible in the 10-second video, the veracity of which was yet to be ascertained.

Chandigarh Senior Superintendent of Police Kanwardeep Kaur said, “Prima facie, it appears that a small crude-type device was thrown.” She said the occurrence of a blast near the Punjab BJP office was reported at around 5 pm.

“Our crime branch and the operation cell also reached here,” she said, adding that a team from the Central Forensic Laboratory was rushed to the site.

The party’s state media cell head, Vineet Joshi, said the office staff heard the sound and they immediately alerted police.

“There was panic after the blast. A scooter was damaged. The windowpanes of a car were damaged. Splinter marks are visible on the wall,” he said.

He said Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma had been staying at the party office for the past four days, and left for Delhi at 6 am today.

“How did the blast take place? Only police can provide details,” Joshi told reporters, terming the incident a matter of concern.

The Punjab BJP headquarters is located in Sector 37, which also houses Law Bhavan and a petrol pump.

The office often hosts press conferences and is a hub of other party activities.

Reacting to the blast, Jakhar said, “First, there were continuous grenade attacks on police stations in Punjab; then recently, a statue of Babasaheb Dr B R Ambedkar was vandalised in Hoshiarpur; and today, the BJP state-level office in Chandigarh was attacked.” The series of incidents indicates attempts to disrupt the communal harmony in the state, he said.

Jakhar slammed the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and accused it of failing to rein in criminal activities in the state.

“As a result, the deteriorating law and order situation in Punjab is now beginning to affect Chandigarh as well,” he said in a post on X.

No matter how much separatist forces try, they will not be able to break the communal unity of Punjab, Jakhar added.

The blast left Amarinder Singh, a BJP leader and a former Punjab chief minister, shocked and concerned.

“I urge the concerned authorities to conduct a swift and thorough investigation and ensure strict action against those responsible,” he said.

Bajwa found the news of the blast worrying.

“Thankfully, no one was hurt. This incident raises serious concerns, and it’s high time that both Bharatiya Janata Party and Aam Aadmi Party ensured that security is not compromised in Chandigarh and across Punjab. Public safety must remain the top priority,” he said.

Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia sought a thorough investigation into the incident.

“It is shocking to hear about the blast outside the @BJP4Punjab office in Chandigarh, raising serious questions over the law and order situation. An unverified video is circulating on social media showing a person allegedly throwing an explosive at the building seems like Punjab BJP office. Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur must clarify and confirm the authenticity of this video,” he said on X.

BJP leader R P Singh found it serious that a senior party functionary had just left the office for Delhi.

“Just 15 days ago, he was cautioned by the SSP of Pathankot to suspend his morning walks due to a specific threat perception. Whether there is any link between that warning and today’s blast is a matter for investigation, but the coincidence cannot be ignored,” said the party’s national spokesperson on X.

Singh said the incident raises serious questions on security, intelligence coordination, and the overall law & order situation in Punjab.

“Those responsible must be identified and brought to justice at the earliest. There can be zero tolerance for such acts of terror,” he added. PTI CHS VSD VN VN