MANDI: A Punjab Roadways bus was found with shattered windowpanes at the Manikaran bus stand in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh on Saturday (March 29, 2025), leading to fresh tension between the two neighbouring states.
Several HRTC (Himachal Road Transport Corporation) buses were vandalised in Punjab over the past few weeks.
The vandalism in Manikaran occurred between 3 pm and 4 pm. Unidentified miscreants allegedly shattered the windows of the parked Punjab Roadways bus.
The Manikaran police have registered a case under Section 3(2) of the BNS Act and Section 324(4) of the PDP Act and have begun scanning CCTV footage to identify the assailants. Officials are also investigating whether falling rocks from a nearby hill could have caused the damage.
This incident comes on the heels of repeated attacks on HRTC buses in Punjab over the past few weeks:
March 18, 2025: Two masked men attacked an HRTC bus near Kharar in Mohali, smashing its windshield and windowpanes with sticks.
March 21, 2025: Four HRTC buses at the Amritsar Inter-State Bus Terminal were vandalised overnight and pro-Khalistan slogans were written on them.
Root causes behind the rising tensions
The attacks on HRTC buses are linked to an incident in Himachal Pradesh’s Manali region where local residents reportedly removed flags bearing the image of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale from motorcycles belonging to tourists from Punjab.
This triggered protests among certain Sikh groups, potentially leading to retaliatory vandalism against HRTC buses.
While the motive behind the Punjab Roadways bus vandalism in Manikaran remains unclear, the authorities are not ruling out the possibility of miscreants intentionally targeting state-run buses to escalate tensions.
Issue had resonated in Himachal Assembly
Following recent incidents, Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri had announced indefinite suspension of HRTC bus services on 10 routes to Punjab, citing safety concerns.
Buses will no longer be parked overnight in Punjab until adequate security measures are ensured. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had assured of strict action against those responsible.
Munish Sood
Other News
2 small savings schemes that offer highest returns in country, even more than FDs
Gaggal airport in Himachal bags top award in AAI’s customer satisfaction survey
Bollywood stars Neetu Singh, Kapil Sharma to shoot in Shimla for upcoming film, director belongs to Himachal
Living in Shimla gets costlier as debt-ridden Himachal govt substantially hikes charges for essential services
Historic Lal Bridge in Pandoh to be rebuilt at ₹23.64 crore; Himachal minister Vikramaditya Singh secures approval from Centre
