Pakistan’s ISI behind grenade attack at Amritsar’s Thakurdwara temple? Police chief says ‘some local youths…’

In the second attack in a span of two days, a grenade was lobbed at Amritsar's Thakurdwara Temple in the intervening nights of Friday and Saturday.

The incident took place after a man wielding an iron rod went on an indiscriminate rampage at the Golden Temple on Friday, in which five people were injured.

Two motorcycle-borne masked men were captured on CCTV footage lobbing an object, suspected to be an explosive, at the temple after midnight.

The CCTV footage of the incident has gone viral on social media platforms.

Amritsar Commissioner GPS Bhullar has suggested the involvement of Pakistan Intel agency ISI in the blast.

"I came here at 2 am after receiving information about the blast. The forensic team has also reached the spot and I have spoken with the people here. Efforts are being made by Pakistan to disturb the atmosphere here, and some local youths are involved in this. I urge our youths not to get involved in such activities," reported PTI quoting Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu slammed the Punjab government and said, "I strongly condemn the bomb attack on Thakur Dwara temple, Khandwala in Amritsar. The AAP government fails to check repeated incidents of blasts in border city. Deteriorating law and order in Punjab is a matter of serious concern.”

Punjab Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal has said that two suspects have been identified behind the explosion.

"There were some miscreants who hurled a grenade at a temple after 12 am. There are no injuries or casualties... The situation is under control," minister Dhaliwal confirmed.

Meanhwile, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stated that there were many attempts to disturb the peace in the State.

"There are always many attempts to disturb the peace in Punjab. Drugs, gangsters, and extortion are part of it, and there are attempts to show that Punjab has become a disturbed state... During the festival of Holi, in other States, the police had to use lathicharge during processions. But such things do not happen in Punjab... The law and order situation in Punjab is good," Mann said.

BJP national spokesperson Shahzad Poonawalla attacked the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab condemning the Amritsar temple attack.

Poonawalla stated ever since the AAP government has come to power in the state, the law and order situation has worsened.

Poonawalla stated that all these grenade attacks have happened in a chain manner wherein some of them have happened at the police station as well.