Two held in connection with blast at BJP leader's Jalandhar home; ISI, Bishnoi involved: Police
Chandigarh (PTI): Two persons have been arrested in connection with a blast at Punjab BJP leader Manoranjan Kalia's residence in Jalandhar, a senior police officer said on Tuesday.
He further said the e-rickshaw used in the crime has also been recovered.
Addressing the media here, Special Director General of Police (law and order) Arpit Shukla said the crime was committed to disturb communal harmony.
"It was a major conspiracy of Pakistan's ISI. Zeeshan Akhtar, who is an associate of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and (Pakistani gangster) Shahzad Bhatti, they had hatched a conspiracy," said Shukla.
He further said an investigation into the possible links of the Babbar Khalsa International is also underway, adding that Punjab Police was also in touch with the central agencies.
A blast at Kalia's residence in Jalandhar early Tuesday damaged an aluminum partition, shattered glass windows of his home, his SUV and a motorcycle in the courtyard. No one was hurt, police said.
Kalia, a former Cabinet minister and former president of Punjab BJP, was at home when the explosion took place. He is also a member of the BJP's national executive.
There have been many incidents of explosions, targeting police posts in Amritsar and Gurdaspur in the past four to five months but this is the first such incident when the house of a prominent politician was targeted. Last month, a blast occurred outside a temple in Amritsar.
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Former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan passes away
New Delhi (PTI): Former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan passed away in Bengaluru on Friday, officials said.
The 84-year-old had been unwell for quite sometime.
"He left for heavenly abode this morning at his residence in Bengaluru. His body will be kept at Raman Research Institute (RRI) for paying last respects on April 27," the officials said.
Kasturirangan, who was chairman of the drafting committee of the new National Education Policy (NEP), had also served as chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University and as chairman of the Karnataka Knowledge Commission.
He had also served as a member of the Rajya Sabha (2003–09) and as member of then Planning Commission of India.
Kasturirangan was also the Director of the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore from April 2004 to 2009.
He had steered the Indian Space programme gloriously for over nine years as chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), of Space Commission and Secretary to the Government of India.
As an astrophysicist, Kasturirangan focused on research in high energy X-ray and gamma ray astronomy as well as optical astronomy. He had made extensive and significant contributions to studies of cosmic X-ray sources, celestial gamma-ray and effect of cosmic X-rays in the lower atmosphere.
