Tarsem Garg Clinic Petrol Bomb Attack Bathinda Punjab

Two masked men hurled a petrol bomb at BJP leader and social activist Dr Tarsem Lal Garg’s homoeopathic clinic at Vishal Nagar in Bathinda, Punjab, on Monday night, the police said. The clinic is located close to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s (RSS) Bathinda office.

According to the police and eyewitnesses, two men arrived outside Hahnemann Homeo Clinic, near Mela Ram Road, Street No. 3, and one of them lit a petrol-filled bottle and threw it into the clinic’s verandah, while the other recorded the incident on a mobile phone.

A scooter parked inside the verandah caught fire and was damaged in the incident. No injuries were reported.

Narinder Singh, Superintendent of Police, Bathinda, said, “We are looking into the CCTV footage and have got some leads. The culprits will be caught soon.”

Dr Garg told the police he had no idea why he had been targeted and that he had no enmity with anyone.

Dr Tarsem Lal Garg’s party switch amid AAP factionalism

The incident has raised concerns over law and order in Bathinda, particularly because it happened hours before Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is slated to address a public meeting in the city on Tuesday afternoon.

The attack also comes against the backdrop of Dr Garg’s recent political shift. Last month, he was appointed secretary of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) trade wing, but later joined the BJP during the campaign for the Bathinda Municipal Corporation elections. Sources said he was upset over AAP’s ticket distribution for the civic polls.

Despite internal factionalism, the AAP won 36 of the 50 wards in the municipal elections and elected Padamjeet Singh Mehta as the Bathinda mayor.

The police have registered a case and are investigating the attack, which has triggered anxiety among residents of the Vishal Nagar area.

BJP Bathinda unit president Sarup Chand Singla strongly condemned the petrol bomb attack as a cowardly act and a serious threat to law and order.

“Last night’s attack on Tarsem Garg Ji’s clinic is highly condemnable. Such cowardly attacks on those serving society, especially doctors who work day and night for the people, are extremely worrying. This incident is a direct challenge to law and order. We demand that the administration immediately investigate the matter, arrest the culprits at the earliest and ensure the safety of doctors,” Singla said on Tuesday.

Singla said the name displayed on the call was “Shehzad Bhatti”. He added that the caller had said he would call again after five minutes, but no further call was received. Instead, a text message saying “Hi” was sent to Dr Rajni’s phone at around 5 am on Tuesday, to which no reply was given.

Calling the matter serious, Singla demanded a thorough investigation into the threatening call as well. He also pointed out that Dr Garg had recently become active in the BJP and that the RSS office is located opposite his clinic.

The police have not so far disclosed any connection between the caller and a Pakistani social media influencer and gangster named Shehzad Bhatti. They have not confirmed any other Pakistan link in the case either.