Kejriwal to soon vacate CM residence, AAP scouts for supremo's new address
New Delhi (PTI): AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal will soon vacate the official residence of Delhi chief minister in the city’s Civil Lines area, with an intensive search on for a new house near his New Delhi constituency, the party said on Saturday.
Kejriwal, who resigned as Delhi chief minister earlier this month, said he would vacate the official Flagstaff Road residence during the Navratri period. The auspicious Hindu festival commences from the first week of October.
"Arvind Kejriwal will vacate the CM residence soon and search for his new accommodation has been intensified. Kejriwal is prioritising locations near his assembly constituency New Delhi, as he intends to remain connected with the people there," the Aam Aadmi Pary (AAP) said in a statement.
With Delhi Assembly elections only a few months away, the AAP national convener is "keenly focused" on finding a property that will allow him to utilise his time and resources to the fullest, the party said.
He is searching for a place that not only provides a base for his work but also allows him to travel and stay connected with every corner of the city and its people, it said.
AAP MLAs, councillors, workers as well as the common people are offering the former chief minister accommodation, regardless of their social, economic, or political background, the party said.
Some have requested him to live with them, others have offered shared spaces, and many have provided vacant places for him to stay, it added.
Offers of accommodation for Kejriwal have come from across the city, including from neighbourhoods such as Defence Colony, Pitampura, Jor Bagh, Chanakyapuri, Greater Kailash, Vasant Vihar, and Hauz Khas, the statement said.
The former Delhi chief minister is looking for a property which is clear of all sorts of encumbrances and disputes, it said.
The AAP has demanded that the Central government provide an official accommodation to Kejriwal for holding the position of president of a national party.
Kejriwal lives with his family, including his wife, children and elderly parents.
Before joining politics, Kejriwal who hails from Haryana, used to live in the Kaushambi area of Uttar Pradesh’s Ghaziabad.
After he became Delhi chief minister for the first time in 2013, he moved to a bungalow at Tilak Lane in Delhi. He shifted to the Flagstaff Road residence in 2015 after once again swearing in as the chief minister of Delhi.
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Punjab: Blast near army cantt area in Amritsar, hours after explosion in Jalandhar
Chandigarh (PTI): An explosion occurred near the army cantonment area in Khasa late Tuesday night in Punjab's Amritsar, the second such incident which took place around three hours after a blast outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar.
According to the police, an investigation into both blast incidents is currently underway, and no injuries have been reported.
The first explosion happened around 8 pm in Jalandhar, while the second blast occurred at approximately 11 pm in Amritsar.
Amritsar (Rural) Senior Superintendent of Police Suhail Mir Qasim stated that police received reports of a loud sound at around 11 pm on a road in Khasa. "Our teams arrived on the scene immediately," he said.
Preliminary inspections indicated that someone had thrown an explosive device towards the boundary wall, leading to the explosion, according to the SSP.
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Police mentioned that a piece of a tin sheet covering the boundary wall had fallen as a result of the blast.
Following the explosion, a team of forensic and bomb disposal squad visited the site to collect samples.
Amritsar Rural Superintendent of Police Aditya S. Warrier, who also visited the scene, confirmed that further investigations are ongoing. Police added that a team of army officials also assessed the situation, after which the area was cordoned off.
CCTV footage from the vicinity shows the explosion occurring at night. A local villager reported that his family was awakened by the loud sound and came outside their home to see what had happened.
Before the Amritsar explosion, a blast took place outside the headquarters of the Border Security Force's Punjab Frontier in Jalandhar district around 8 pm on Tuesday, causing panic in the area.
CCTV footage captured the explosion, which resulted in a cloud of smoke. An unidentified man was seen running for cover following the blast.
The blast ripped apart a scooter, damaged a traffic signal pole and windowpanes of a nearby shop. Locals recounted that the scooter, which was parked outside the BSF headquarters, Punjab Frontier, caught fire shortly after a loud sound. It belonged to Gurpreet Singh, who regularly delivers parcels in the area.
Talking to reporters on Tuesday night, one of Gurpreet's relatives said that the scooter caught fire as he was approaching it. He immediately called his father and informed him about the incident.
Jalandhar Police Commissioner Dhanpreet Kaur confirmed to reporters late Tuesday that an Activa scooter parked near the gate caught fire suddenly. She stated that Gurpreet is fully cooperating with the investigation.
Witnesses nearby reported hearing a loud sound following the explosion.
On April 27, an explosion occurred at a freight corridor rail track in Shambhu in Patiala. Police had arrested four members of a pro-Khalistan terror module, backed by Pakistan's ISI, for the blast.
In light of these incidents, opposition parties have condemned the AAP government for its handling of the situation.
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal criticised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who also holds the home portfolio, over the recent blasts.
"Three blasts in 10 days, two in a single day, May 5: Jalandhar outside BSF headquarters and Sri Amritsar Sahib Army area, April 27: Rajpura rail track. Continued intelligence failures and the collapse of law and order are a matter of grave concern. Chief Minister @BhagwantMann, who is also the state Home Minister, is busy with mimicry and cheap politics. He has forfeited the right to remain in office," Badal said in a post on X.
Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring also slammed the Mann government over the two blasts.
"Back-to-back blasts have shaken Punjab. Yesterday in Jalandhar, and now near Khasa Camp in Amritsar, this is deeply alarming. Who is trying to destabilise our state? Why has the Punjab Government failed to prevent such incidents? What is the Government of India doing? Repeated lapses point to a serious breakdown of intelligence and security. Punjab's peace cannot be compromised. We demand accountability and immediate action," Warring said in a post on X.
