Punjab CM Channi slams ED raids on nephew, reminds agency of Bengal episode
Written by Harshit Sabarwal | Edited by Amit Chaturvedi, New Delhi
Jan 18, 2022 02:08 PM IST
On Tuesday morning, the Enforcement Directorate raided at least 10-12 locations in poll-bound Punjab as part of a money-laundering probe against the 'sand mafia' and companies linked to alleged illegal sand mining in the state.
Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi said on Tuesday that the Enforcement Directorate's (ED's) raids against his nephew are a way of putting pressure before the assembly elections in the state.
Speaking to reporters, Channi said, "Raids are being conducted at the premises of my nephew. They are targeting me and are trying to put pressure on me in view of upcoming Assembly polls. This is not good for democracy. We're ready to fight this."
Channi added that the same thing happened during the assembly elections in West Bengal last year when the ED raided premises of Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's relatives. Taking a dig at the Centre, the Punjab CM said, “They remember these raids right when elections are about to happen.”
Citing media reports, Channi pointed out that the central agency was also troubling his ministers and every leader of the Congress party.
On Tuesday morning, the Enforcement Directorate raided at least 10-12 locations in poll-bound Punjab as part of a money-laundering probe against the 'sand mafia' and companies linked to alleged illegal sand mining in the state.
The Enforcement Directorate's action was initiated after taking cognisance of a 2018 FIR of the Punjab Police against some companies and individuals alleged to be involved in illegal sand mining.
As a part of the raids, the ED is also covering the premises linked to Bhupinder Singh alias Honey, in Mohali. Honey is the nephew of chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi.
Opposition parties had earlier linked Channi with the dealings of Honey but the Punjab CM has denied this allegation.
On the other hand, the Congress party has slammed the ED's raids by saying that the central agency, along with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Income Tax Department, has become a tool of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government during elections.
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News/Cities/Chandigarh News/ Punjab CM Channi slams ED raids on nephew, reminds agency of Bengal episode