Mohali: A Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus was attacked in Kharar, Mohali, Punjab, on Tuesday evening, escalating tensions amid the ongoing Bhindranwale poster controversy. Unknown assailants, who arrived in a car, attacked the bus with sticks, breaking its glass and creating panic among passengers.
The incident took place around 6:30 pm when the bus (HP 67 A-1321) from Hamirpur depot was en route from Chandigarh to Hamirpur. The vehicle had just departed from ISBT Sector-43, Chandigarh, and had barely covered 10 km when it was targeted near Kharar. Two masked attackers in an Alto car intercepted the bus on a flyover, with one of them breaking the front windows with a stick before fleeing towards Kurali. Fortunately, none of the passengers sustained injuries.
Bus driver Ravi Kumar and conductor Lovely Kumar recounted the attack, stating that the attackers had covered their vehicle’s number plates with tape. Following the incident, the passengers were transferred to another bus, while the police took the vandalized vehicle into custody. A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway.
This attack comes amid growing tensions between Punjab and Himachal Pradesh over pro-Khalistani elements displaying Bhindranwale’s flags and posters. In Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district, Punjab-based devotees have been seen putting Bhindranwale flags on their bikes. On Tuesday, Bhindranwale’s supporters in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, pasted his photos on Himachal Roadways and private buses, further escalating the controversy.
The issue has also reached the Himachal Pradesh Assembly, where former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur questioned the government over the matter.
