In a dual-pronged attack on Monday, unidentified individuals targeted two offices of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Punjab, leading to significant property damage and widespread panic. Incidents of vandalism and stone-pelting were reported from the party’s establishments in Zirakpur (Mohali) and Tarn Taran, causing tension to escalate across the regions.
In Tarn Taran, a mob comprising approximately 15 to 20 armed individuals stormed the BJP district headquarters during the afternoon. According to BJP district president Harjeet Singh Sandhu, the attackers, carrying sticks and batons, damaged furniture and pelted stones while raising slogans against the party. Witnesses stated that the assailants also tore down posters featuring “Punjab Ekta Zindabad” and anti-BJP messages. Although party workers managed to briefly detain one of the attackers, his associates forcibly freed him before fleeing the scene. Tarn Taran SSP Surendra Lamba confirmed that a thorough investigation is underway, and police are currently questioning residents and examining all angles to identify the perpetrators.
Simultaneously, in Zirakpur, five masked youths entered the local BJP office and defaced the premises by throwing ink on the walls and posters. The miscreants reportedly targeted a photograph of senior BJP leader Gurdarshan Saini. Eyewitnesses noted that the group caused a disturbance for several minutes before escaping. Local police have since recovered CCTV footage from the vicinity, which shows five masked men moving toward and away from the office during the time of the incident.
Condemning the attacks, the BJP leadership in the state alleged a total collapse of law and order in Punjab. Party leaders accused political rivals of attempting to intimidate them through “hooliganism,” claiming such incidents are creating an atmosphere of fear among the general public. Investigations into both cases are currently ongoing as authorities work to secure the sites and arrest those responsible.