Punjab on alert after blasts hit sensitive military zones in Amritsar & Jalandhar

SECURITY agencies were placed on heightened alert across Punjab after a suspected blast rocked the Khasa area near the Amritsar cantonment at approximately 10:50 pm on Tuesday, with no casualties reported.

The incident, which drew an immediate response from police, army personnel and forensic teams, occurred within hours of a scooter catching fire near BSF Chowk in Jalandhar, prompting sharp condemnation from the Shiromani Akali Dal, the BJP and the Congress.

What Happened at Khasa: Timeline of the Amritsar Blast

Police received information about the suspected explosion shortly before midnight, following which senior officers converged on the site alongside army personnel from the cantonment.

SP Aditya S Warrier, speaking to ANI, confirmed the sequence of events: "At around 10.50 pm, the police received a complaint about a sound of a blast near Khassa cantonment. The police team arrived at the scene, accompanied by senior army officials stationed in the cantonment. The BDS team was also called, which conducted a check there. The FSL team gathered the evidence, and it has been sent for sampling and testing. We are checking how many blasts have occurred and how."

The Bomb Disposal Squad conducted a thorough sweep of the area, while the Forensic Science Laboratory collected samples from the site. All material has been dispatched for analysis to determine the nature and origin of the incident. A preliminary investigation remains underway.

Jalandhar Scooter Fire Near BSF Headquarters Adds to Security Concerns
Hours before the Amritsar incident, a scooter burst into flames near BSF Chowk in Jalandhar. Local authorities responded swiftly, and no injuries were reported in that incident.

The two events, occurring on the same night in two of Punjab's most strategically sensitive cities, provided opposition parties with immediate political ammunition against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.

SAD Alleges Cover-Up, Urges Centre to Intervene

Shiromani Akali Dal General Secretary Bikram Singh Majithia was among the most vocal critics, casting doubt on the speed with which authorities appeared to offer explanations for the Jalandhar incident.

"Just connect the dots... Just like grenade attacks are often downplayed as tyre bursts, here too the claim of a scooty blast suggests the start of a cover-up operation. Was the Commissioner able to complete the investigation so quickly? Has the forensic team already submitted its report? The cover-up seems to have begun the moment the blast occurred," Majithia wrote on X.

Majithia questioned how an explosion could have occurred in an area as busy and sensitive as the one near the BSF headquarters, and criticised what he described as the police reaching conclusions within minutes of the incident without completing a proper investigation. He urged the Union Home Minister and the Prime Minister to take note of the deteriorating security climate in Punjab, arguing that the situation demands national attention.

Punjab BJP General Secretary Parminder Singh Brar said the Jalandhar blast is evidence of a broader governance failure, directing his criticism squarely at the AAP administration.

"Blast near BSF HQ in Jalandhar is a chilling reminder of the collapsing law and order in Punjab. A delivery scooter explosion in a crowded area shows how dangerously unsafe public spaces have become. The Aam Aadmi Party Punjab government must be held accountable; governance cannot be replaced by optics and theatrics. Punjab cannot afford this failure. People deserve security, not excuses," Brar wrote on X.

Congress Calls for Proactive Steps, Wishes Injured BSF Jawan Recovery

Congress leader and Punjab MLA Partap Singh Bajwa struck a tone of concern rather than a direct political attack, though he, too, called for stronger preventive action from the state government.

"The explosion in Jalandhar is deeply alarming. Incidents like these point to serious lapses in safety and vigilance. The government must stop reacting after the fact and start taking proactive, visible steps to secure lives and restore public confidence. Wish a speedy recovery to the injured BSF jawan," Bajwa said.

Earlier Blast on Railway Track in Rajpura Adds to Pattern of Incidents

Tuesday's incidents did not emerge in isolation. On 27 April, a blast occurred on a railway track in the Rajpura area of Patiala district following a detonation attempt late at night. Patiala Police confirmed that the individual who carried out the attempt died in the explosion; no other casualties or damage to property were reported in that incident.

Forensic analysis from Tuesday's Amritsar blast is pending and authorities have yet to establish a definitive cause. Further details are expected as the investigation progresses.