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ED raids Punjab AAP chief Aman Arora's aide, he vows to quit politics 'if found guilty'
Aman Arora's, who is a minister in Punjab cabinet, name surfaced in connection with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on his “close associate” on Thursday
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state president and cabinet minister Aman Arora on Friday said he was ready to face any investigation and vowed to quit politics if any wrongdoing was proved against him.
The minister’s name surfaced in connection with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on his “close associate” on Thursday.
The agency conducted searches at multiple locations in Punjab and Chandigarh on Thursday as part of a money laundering probe. Speaking to reporters here, Arora alleged an attempt to politically malign his reputation.
He said neither his nor Gaurav Dhir’s name was mentioned in the ED's first statement. He further claimed that the original statement mentioned only “Gaurav Constructions”, but another statement was released within half an hour that added his name and that of Gaurav Dhir.
“This proves that my name was inserted only to politically target and defame me. I am ready for any kind of investigation. If any wrong is proved against me in any probe, I will leave politics,” he said.
Terming the entire episode a reflection of the BJP’s “politics of intimidation and character assassination”, Arora said he had never even heard the names of several individuals mentioned in the case, including Suresh Kumar Bajaj, Ajay Sehgal, Nitin Goyal and Pritpal Singh Dhindsa, before Wednesday.
Speaking about Gaurav Dhir, Arora said their friendship went back more than 22 years and was based purely on personal trust and affection.
He denied any business or financial dealings with Dhir. He further accused the ED of adopting a selective and biased approach by deliberately omitting politically inconvenient details from its statements. “One of the individuals named in the case, Suresh Kumar Bajaj, had donated ₹2.5 lakh to the BJP during 2023-24, but this fact was conveniently left out,” he alleged.
Addressing allegations linked to the Altus project, Arora explained that the company’s 600-acre mega project had received Change of Land Use (CLU) approvals back in 2013-14. He clarified that all CLU licences were conditional and remained valid as long as developers complied with government policy norms. He further stated that the issue involving six acres allegedly linked to Dhir was being deliberately distorted for political reasons.
The minister said, according to available information, Altus was once among the biggest defaulters to GMADA and the state government, but now holds a no-dues certificate from the government and does not owe a single rupee.
“If all dues have been cleared and the Punjab government itself has issued a no-dues certificate, then where is the fraud?” Arora questioned.
