Kuldip Bhatia

Ludhiana, December 24

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today asked Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi to announce an ex gratia grant to all those injured in the Ludhiana bomb blast, besides covering their hospitalisation expenses.

The SAD president met advocate Kuldeep Singh Mand and Krishan Kumar, who were injured in the blast at the court complex yesterday and are admitted to Dayanand Medical College (DMC) Hospital here. He inquired about their well-being and also interacted with their family members. Family members of both patients disclosed that the state government had not extended any monetary help to them for their treatment.

While asking the Chief Minister to extend ex gratia grant to the injured immediately, Badal said, “This should be your priority instead of politicising the ghastly attack to launch a blame game against your political rivals.” He also advised the Chief Minister to call a meeting to review the law and order situation instead of only calling meetings of top police officers to devise ways and means to frame Akali leaders in false cases.

The SAD president asked the Congress government to tell the people what measures it had taken to identify the culprits as well as know the conspiracy behind five successive bomb blasts in the last four months, which had preceded the Ludhiana blast. He said if the government had acted in time and taken timely measures, the Ludhiana tragedy could have been averted.