Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday criticised the BJP-led Central government after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids against state minister Sanjeev Arora. Mann alleged that democracy was being “murdered” and claimed that only non-BJP governments were being targeted and harassed.
Mann further said the raids indicate that the BJP has started its preparations for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.
Soon after the ED carried out searches at the premises of the minister and several others as part of an ongoing probe, Arora stated that he would fully cooperate with the agencies as a responsible citizen. Officials said multiple locations in Ludhiana and other places were covered during the searches.
“Good Morning! An action by the Enforcement Directorate took place at my premises. As a responsible citizen, I will fully cooperate with the agencies and I am confident that the truth will prevail,” Arora shared in a post on X.
Arora had also faced ED raids in 2024. At that time, the agency had alleged that companies connected to him and certain other entities caused losses to the state government and generated huge proceeds of crime through the alleged misuse of industrial land for residential projects.
A few days ago, the federal agency had carried out FEMA-related searches at the premises of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal and his educational institutions located in Punjab and Haryana.
Mittal was recently appointed Deputy Leader of the Aam Aadmi Party in the Rajya Sabha, replacing MP Raghav Chadha. He also serves as the Chancellor of Lovely Professional University in Phagwara. Addressing a press conference, Mann said the ED had recently carried out raids against Mittal as well.
“More than 40,000 students study at Mittal’s Lovely Professional University, including students from over 35 countries. Since he is an AAP Rajya Sabha MP, he suddenly became tainted,” Mann said while criticising the BJP-led Centre.
Referring to the latest action, Mann said raids were now being conducted at Sanjeev Arora’s premises. He noted that Arora holds the Power, Local Bodies and Industries portfolios and alleged that he too was now being targeted.
“Today, raids are going on at Sanjeev Arora's premises. He is our Power, Local Bodies and Industries Minister. Today, he too has become tainted," Mann said, hitting out at the BJP.
Speaking about the raids, Mann said the BJP had begun preparations for the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections by sending agencies like the ED, issuing Income Tax notices and creating pressure, as the party was unable to find candidates for all 117 Assembly constituencies in Punjab.
“In such a situation, the BJP is trying to scare leaders by sending the ED so that they either withdraw from elections or join them through their so-called washing machine,” he alleged.
Mann concluded by saying that democracy was being murdered and strongly condemned the action, alleging that only governments not ruled by the BJP were being targeted.
Also read: ED raids Punjab Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora's premises
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