The Enforcement Directorate’s purported letter to Punjab director general of police (DGP) against an aide of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders on Wednesday ignited a political row between the ruling party and the Opposition.
The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, in separate statements, targeted the Bhagwant Mann government, while AAP leader and finance minister Harpal Cheema hit back at the Opposition.
Alleging large-scale corruption, senior SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia held a press conference in Amritsar and demanded a CBI inquiry into the whole episode. Referring to ED’s letter, the SAD leader claimed, “It has now been revealed that the AAP leaders’ close aide and his associates were using their influence to interfere in government working and were even instrumental in transfer of senior administrative and police officials.”
The letter further states that these individuals interfered in policy decisions, and were involved in questionable land deals including in GLADA, GMADA and PUDA, alleged Majithia.
HT could not independently verify the veracity of the letter or its contents.
{{/usCountry}}HT could not independently verify the veracity of the letter or its contents.
{{/usCountry}}The Punjab BJP also attacked the AAP government, with party general secretary Parminder Brar stating that the ED’s letter had brought things on record. “Now, the chief minister, if he is actually against corruption, should register an FIR against this aide as per ED recommendations,” said Brar.
In a counter attack, Cheema slammed the SAD and the BJP for their statements over a communication sent by the central agency. “It is baffling how a communication addressed to the DGP by the ED is being weaponised by the SAD to defame the AAP,” he said at a press conference.
He alleged that the SAD had completely abandoned its principles and was now acting as a spokesperson for the BJP and central investigative agencies while “desperately trying to find a political lease on life”.
Alleging that the state underwent a dark era between 2007 and 2017, the AAP leader claimed that the erstwhile SAD-BJP government ruined Punjab’s social fabric, economy and youth.
He said the people of Punjab had not forgotten the rampant drug menace, the desecration of Guru Granth Sahib and the widespread corruption.
Cheema also hit out at the BJP-led Union government, accusing it of deploying central agencies like ED, CBI and income tax department to intimidate opposition leaders, threaten local administration, and subvert elected state governments across the country.
The cabinet minister said the people of Punjab saw through these cheap political stunts, and neither the ED nor the Akali Dal would succeed in misleading Punjabis or derailing the progressive governance of the AAP government.
Earlier, Leader of Opposition and senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa also took on the AAP government, demanding complete disclosure.
Taking to X, Bajwa launched a scathing attack questioning the identities behind the alleged corruption, asking: “Who were the beneficiaries of the postings? If Punjab was put up for sale, the people deserve to know: Who sold Punjab, who bought it, and who walked away with the profits? The ED has raised the questions. Now Punjab wants the names and the accounts.”