Blame game begins over grenade attack in Punjab: Harsimrat asks Amarinder to get down to 'serious governance'

Nov 18 (AZINS) Union Cabinet Minister of Food Processing Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sunday lashed out at Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh after a grenade attack on a religious congregation on the outskirts of Amritsar city.

Three persons were killed and at least 10 injured after the attack took place inside the Nirankari Bhavan at Adliwal village near Amritsar's Rajasansi, close to the international airport.

A religious congregation of the Nirankari sect was being conducted inside the Bhavan at the time of the incident.

Attacking Amarinder Singh, Kaur said, "First bombs and now grenade attack in Amritsar, what next Raja saab?"

She also asked the Chief minister when will he and his ministers will stop encouraging elements bent on disturbing hard won peace.

"Stop playing politics and get down to serious governance. Punjabis don’t want to go back into dark era," she said.

Meanwhile, Punjab police said that the grenade attack appears to be a "terrorist act".

"It (this incident) appears to have a terror angle. Because it is against a group (of people) and it is not against any individual. There is no reason to throw a hand grenade on a group of people, so we will take it as a terrorist act. Till proven otherwise, prima facie we will take it as that," Punjab Director General of Police Suresh Arora told PTI.

Strongly condemning the grenade attack Amarinder Singh vowed that he will not let the "forces of terror" destroy the hard-earned peace in the state.

While making an appeal to the people "not to panic and remain calm," the chief minister tweeted, "We will not let the forces of terror destroy our hard-earned peace." "I appeal to the people of Punjab to maintain peace in the wake of Amritsar bomb blast. I urge them not to panic and to remain calm," he added.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to Amarinder Singh and took stock of the situation.

Singh also vowed to take strongest possible action against the perpetrators of the crime.

"Spoke to the Chief Minister of Punjab, @capt_amarinder ji who has apprised me of the situation in the wake of grenade attack in Amritsar. Strongest possible action will be taken against the perpetrators of this crime (sic)," he tweeted.