PM Modi Inaugurates Jalandhar Cantonment Station as Police Bust ISI-Backed Terror Module

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jalandhar to inaugurate the redeveloped Cantonment railway station and flag off the Sant Ravidas Express, committing infrastructure investments worth Rs 5,470 crore across Punjab. Days earlier, Punjab Police dismantled an ISI-backed Babbar Khalsa International terror module, arresting a key operative and seizing a 1.3-kilogram improvised explosive device prepared for a high-impact attack.

🗳️ PM Modi Opens Cantonment Station, Flags Off Sant Ravidas Express

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Jalandhar to inaugurate the modernized Jalandhar Cantonment railway station and flag off the Sant Ravidas Express, a new passenger train named in honor of the fifteenth-century saint revered by the Ravidassia and Valmiki communities. The visit marked the Prime Minister's second trip to Jalandhar within six months, a frequency widely read by political analysts as reflecting the Bharatiya Janata Party's intensified effort to consolidate support in Punjab ahead of the 2027 state assembly elections. During the ceremony, projects worth Rs 5,470 crore were inaugurated and foundation stones laid, spanning rail infrastructure, road connectivity, and civic amenities across Punjab. The redeveloped Cantonment station features improved passenger amenities, upgraded platforms, and a modernized concourse aligned with Indian Railways' ambitious station-redevelopment programme. Modi addressed a large public gathering in Jalandhar, highlighting the central government's development commitments to Punjab and emphasizing themes of national unity and inclusive economic progress. The Sant Ravidas Express is expected to improve rail connectivity between key cities in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, serving both pilgrims traveling to religious sites associated with Sant Ravidas and daily commuters along its route. Political opposition in Punjab characterized the visit as BJP electioneering dressed in development-project optics, while the party framed the investments as fulfillment of longstanding infrastructure promises to the people of the state. [7]

Punjab Police Bust ISI-Sponsored BKI Cell, Seize 1.3-Kg IED

Punjab Police announced a significant counter-terror operation after busting an ISI-sponsored Babbar Khalsa International module operating in the Jalandhar area under active direction from foreign-based handlers. Counter Intelligence Jalandhar, in a joint operation with Jalandhar Rural Police, arrested a key operative of the proscribed outfit and seized an improvised explosive device packed with 1.3 kilograms of high explosive, along with shrapnel and ball bearings — components indicative of preparations for a high-casualty public attack. Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav stated that the timely interdiction averted a major terrorist strike aimed at disrupting public peace. An FIR was registered at Patara Police Station, Jalandhar Rural, under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Explosive Substances Act, and the Arms Act. Intelligence inputs traced the module's operational funding and instructions to handlers based in Pakistan, underscoring Punjab's continued exposure to cross-border terror financing and radicalization networks. Authorities indicated that interrogation of the arrested operative has yielded actionable leads pointing to additional cells, and further arrests are anticipated. The operation reflects coordinated action between state police counter-intelligence units and is part of a broader campaign to neutralize ISI-backed networks that have sought to exploit Punjab's geography and diaspora connections to foment violence. Security forces across Jalandhar and neighboring districts remain on heightened alert following the seizure. [9]

🤝 Valmiki Community Bandh Shuts Jalandhar Markets, Schools

The Valmiki community called a Punjab-wide bandh to press long-pending demands concerning the community's religious, social, and legal rights, with Jalandhar emerging as the most significantly affected city in the state. Markets and commercial establishments across affected localities shut for the day, with shops shuttered and schools in certain areas reporting substantially reduced attendance. Protest marches were organized at multiple points across the city, with community members carrying banners and demanding that the state government address specific administrative and legal grievances that have remained unresolved for several years. Ludhiana and Amritsar also witnessed solidarity gatherings and partial closures, though the impact there was described as more limited compared to Jalandhar, where the bandh was more comprehensively observed. Police maintained heavy deployments at sensitive locations, and the day passed without significant law-and-order incidents. Community leaders stated that the bandh was intended as a peaceful demonstration of civic resolve and gave notice that escalated protests — including a state capital march — would follow if their demands remained unaddressed by the government within a specified deadline. The Valmiki community, which has deep roots in Punjab's social fabric and maintains a strong presence in the city's sanitation and allied workforce, has periodically organized such demonstrations to press for recognition and welfare measures. State officials indicated a willingness to facilitate dialogue with community representatives in the coming days. [6]

🗳️ PSPCL Contractual Staff End Three-Day Strike, Return to Duty

Contractual employees of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited returned to duty in Jalandhar after a three-day work stoppage called to press demands for service regularization and pay parity with permanent employees. The strike, which disrupted power-distribution operations across multiple circles in Punjab, ended after union representatives held a round of negotiations with PSPCL management and a written assurance was issued regarding consideration of the workers' pending demands within a specified timeframe. The contractual employees — who include line technicians, meter readers, and field-support staff — have long argued that they perform functions identical to their regular counterparts while receiving significantly lower wages and lacking access to provident fund, gratuity, and other statutory benefits. The three-day action disrupted routine maintenance and fault-repair schedules in Jalandhar and surrounding areas, generating complaints from residential and commercial consumers who experienced delayed responses to power outages and service calls. PSPCL management confirmed that operations had normalized following the workers' return and indicated that a committee would be constituted to examine the regularization demand. Union officials cautioned that the resumption of work was conditional on the administration honoring its commitments within the promised timeline, and that a fresh agitation — potentially of indefinite duration — would follow if the assurances were not translated into concrete action. The resolution is being watched by contractual power-sector workers in other states facing similar demands. [4]

Safai Sewaks Launch Strike Over Wages and Equipment Demands

Sanitation workers employed by Jalandhar municipal bodies — known locally as safai sewaks — launched a one-day strike over a set of grievances including delayed wage payments, absence of protective equipment, non-regularization of long-serving contractual workers, and non-implementation of health and accident compensation provisions. The strike raised concerns about waste collection and public sanitation across key residential and commercial zones, given that Jalandhar's safai sewak workforce handles primary door-to-door garbage collection, street sweeping, and drain-maintenance across multiple municipal wards. Municipal officials scrambled to deploy backup arrangements using alternate workforce and outsourced vehicles to prevent waste accumulation in high-footfall areas, though several localities reported visible backlogs by midday. Union representatives stated that the one-day action was intended as a warning strike and gave notice that an indefinite work stoppage would follow if the municipal administration failed to convene formal negotiations within a stated deadline. Residents' welfare associations raised concerns with the municipal commissioner over service disruptions and called on civic leadership to resolve the recurring standoff permanently rather than through temporary assurances. The incident also coincided with the Valmiki community bandh observed elsewhere in the city, creating a convergence of civic disruptions that placed municipal administration under significant pressure for the day. Workers' unions emphasized that sanitation workers perform essential services that directly affect public health and deserve both adequate compensation and dignified working conditions. [2]

Sources: [7] The New Indian Express · [9] India Today · [6] Bhaskar English · [4] The Tribune · [2] The Tribune