The grenade-throwing incident in Amritsar on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday marks the first such attack on a religious site in Punjab in the current wave of incidents which had so far focused primarily on police targets.
Senior Punjab Police officials in Chandigarh said the CCTV footage shows two motorcycle-borne attackers approach the Thakurdwara Mandir in the Khandwala area of Amritsar around midnight. The person who threw the grenade appeared to be unable to take out its pin in multiple attempts before succeeding, they added.
“The fact that a temple has been chosen this time as a target shows that there is a change in strategy of the ISI handlers sitting in Pakistan. Till now, the targets were police posts, politically connected people and a relative of a police official. It seems there is a deliberate effort to incite communal passions in the state,” a senior officer said.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has described the incident as one of many attempts to disturb the peace in the state. “Drugs, gangsters, 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 lathi-charge during processions. But such things do not happen in Punjab… The law and order situation in Punjab is good,” he told media persons on the sidelines of an event in Chandigarh.
12 grenade attacks in Punjab recently
Incidents involving the throwing of grenades have emerged as a significant security concern in Punjab in recent times, particularly in the past few months. These attacks, often linked to organised crime, terrorist groups, and cross-border networks, have targeted both civilian and police establishments.
Over the past four months, the state has witnessed at least 12 grenade attacks, with a series of incidents beginning in November 2024. Earlier targets included police stations and posts, such as the Gumtala police post in Amritsar (January 9, 2025), the Ghania Ke Bangar police station in Batala (December 12, 2024), and the Wadala Bangar police post in Gurdaspur (December 20, 2024).
Other notable attacks include the grenade lobbed at a liquor trader’s residence in Jaintipur, Amritsar (January 15, 2025), and a Congress leader’s house in Batala (January 16, 2025). These incidents indicate a pattern of targeting both state infrastructure and individuals, possibly for extortion or intimidation.
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Investigations have frequently pointed to the involvement of Pakistan-based terrorist groups like Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF), often in collaboration with gangsters such as Harpreet Singh (alias Happy Passia), operating from the US, and Harwinder Singh Sandhu (alias Rinda) in Pakistan. Authorities have recovered smuggled explosives, including Austrian-made Arges grenades and Chinese variants, delivered via drones from across the border.
The Punjab Police have made several arrests, including key operatives like Lajar Masih, linked to multiple attacks, and busted modules responsible for earlier blasts. Despite these efforts, the recurrence of such incidents suggests persistent challenges in curbing the threat.
AAP govt criticised
The surge in grenade attacks has sparked widespread criticism of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, with opposition leaders and locals accusing it of failing to maintain security. The state’s proximity to the Pakistan border, coupled with alleged ISI backing of these operations, has intensified concerns. While Punjab Police claim to have resolved many cases, the latest temple attack underscores the ongoing vulnerability and the need for stronger counter-terrorism measures.
Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that with yet another grenade attack in Amritsar, this time targeting a temple, there is an atmosphere of fear prevailing in the state, and people are genuinely feeling insecure. “It’s high time the AAP Punjab government wakes up from its deep slumber and takes action,” he said in a post on X.