A “crude” device was hurled at the Punjab BJP headquarters in Chandigarh on Wednesday evening, causing a blast, police said. No one was injured in the incident that took place at around 5pm, they said adding a multi-agency probe has been initiated while Chandigarh Police has launched a manhunt for two suspects.

A video emerged on social media purportedly showing a person throwing a grenade-like object, followed by the sound of a blast. The act was recorded by another person but their faces were not visible in the 10-second video. In a social media post, a Khalistani separatist linked to the banned Babbar Khalsa International claimed the responsibility of the attack.

Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur said, “Prima facie, it appears that a small crude-type device was thrown. Forensic teams are collecting samples from the site to determine the composition and origin of the explosive”.

In a statement later, the police said that upon receiving information “regarding a blast outside the Punjab BJP office in Sector-37”, senior officers reached the spot along with teams from the Operations Cell, the National Investigation Agency, the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, bomb disposal squads, and sniffer dog units. “The area was cordoned off. No casualties have been reported in the incident. However, one car and one scooter parked nearby have been affected by impact. An FIR under Explosives Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act has been registered and further investigation is ongoing.” it said.

Inspector General of Police Pushpendra Kumar said CCTV footage from nearby areas is being scanned to identify the suspects. “We are also examining the authenticity and source of the video that has been released on social media,” he said.

Meanwhile, claiming responsibility for the attack, Khalistani separatist Sukhjinder Singh Babbar linked it to the death of Ranjit Singh, a suspect in the killing of two policemen in Gurdaspur in February this year. Ranjit Singh was allegedly killed in a police encounter on February 25.

Raising question on the security apparatus, BJP’s state media cell head, Vineet Joshi, said party’s working president Ashwani Sharma had been staying at the office for the past four days, and had left for Delhi early in the morning.

BJP national spokesperson 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,” he said on X.

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

The Punjab BJP headquarters is located next to the Law Bhavan that house the office of the Bar Council of Punjab and Haryana. A petrol pump is located next to it.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said, “First, there were 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 office in Chandigarh was attacked. The incidents indicate attempts to disrupt the communal harmony in Punjab,” he said.

Jakhar also slammed the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab 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.

Former chief minister and senior BJP leader Capt Amarinder Singh demanded “a swift and thorough investigation” and “strict action against those responsible”.

Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa said it was high time “that both BJP and AAP ensured that security is not compromised in Chandigarh and across Punjab”.

Shiromani Akali Dal’s Bikram Singh Majithia sought a thorough investigation into the incident.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, meanwhile, lashed out at his political rivals for holding him responsible for anything that happens in the Union Territory.

He said whenever he says Chandigarh belongs to Punjab, he is told to stay away from the city’s matters.

In a post on X, Mann said he was held responsible for several incidents, including Panjab University students’ dharna, the protest by farmers’ bodies, the BJP-Congress-Akali Dal joint protest, and the extortion bid and blast in Chandigarh.

“But when Bhagwant Mann says that Chandigarh belongs to Punjab, then Bhagwant Mann is a traitor because Chandigarh is related to the Centre, so Bhagwant Mann should stay away from Chandigarh matters. Now, these tricks won’t work,” the chief minister said.

AAP media in-charge Baltej Pannu condemned the blast, calling it deeply unfortunate and condemnable, but criticised the BJP for resorting to an immediate blame game.

He said such reactions are equally condemnable and irresponsible, especially when facts are yet to be fully established. “The BJP, which has complete administrative control over Chandigarh, must take responsibility instead of shifting blame,” he said in a statement.

Pannu reiterated AAP’s long-standing demand that Chandigarh be handed over to Punjab, emphasising that the city rightfully belongs to the state, and expressed confidence that the Punjab government would manage and administer Chandigarh in a far more efficient and people-centric manner.

Referring to Chandigarh’s identity as the “City Beautiful”, Pannu said its current administrative condition under the BJP’s control is visible to all.

While AAP does not wish to politicise the blast, he stressed, it is important to highlight governance issues that have affected the city over time.