Chandigarh, April 14: Punjab Leader of Opposition and Congress MLA Partap Singh Bajwa has been booked under non-bailable provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for allegedly making false statements that could incite enmity or hatred.
The case was registered late Sunday night under Sections 353(2) and 197(1)(d) of the BNS after Bajwa, in a TV interview, claimed that 50 grenades had entered Punjab, of which 18 had already exploded. He failed to substantiate the claim or disclose his source, prompting Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to order a probe.
Cyber crime police summoned Bajwa to appear at the Phase 7 station in Mohali on Monday noon. However, through his counsel, Bajwa sought time till 2pm Tuesday, citing late receipt of the summons.
AIG Ravjot Kaur and SP Harbir Singh Atwal had earlier visited Bajwa’s residence for a preliminary inquiry but said the Congress leader did not cooperate.
Section 353(2) of the BNS pertains to making false statements intended to provoke hatred, punishable with up to three years in jail or fine or both. The section is non-bailable, requiring a court hearing before bail can be granted.
Meanwhile, the Punjab Congress plans to challenge the FIR in court and has called for a protest at its Sector 15 headquarters in Chandigarh on Tuesday morning. Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring accused the AAP government of using police to suppress opposition voices.
The case comes amid a backdrop of 16 grenade attacks in Punjab since September 2024, with the latest targeting BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia’s home in Jalandhar on April 8.
