Central agencies being misused to scare AAP leaders: Kejriwal on ED action

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday over Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids against Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora, alleging a misuse of the agency to scare his party colleagues into joining the BJP

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday over Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids against Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora, alleging a misuse of the agency to scare his party colleagues into joining the BJP.

Kejriwal said though the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are supposed to work on money-laundering and corruption cases, “under Modi’s rule, these are working to threaten, scare and break away opposition leaders and force them to join the BJP. The raid against Arora is an action in the same direction”.

Earlier in the day, the ED conducted fresh searches against Punjab industries, power and local bodies minister Arora and some others allegedly linked to him as part of a probe into a newly-registered money-laundering case, officials said. Arora was subsequently arrested by the federal agency.

Addressing a press conference here, Kejriwal said though the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are supposed to work on money-laundering and corruption cases, “under Modi’s rule, these are working to threaten, scare and break away opposition leaders and force them to join the BJP. The raid against Arora is an action in the same direction”.

Earlier in the day, in a long post on X in Hindi, Kejriwal said: “ED raids started in Punjab soon after the Bengal polls concluded. Modiji has coerced Punjab in the last few years and ill-treated Punjabis by different means.” The former Delhi chief minister then likened Modi to Aurangzeb.

“Like Aurangzeb, Modiji has dishonestly occupied various parts of the country and now reached Punjab. Taking inspiration from the sacrifices of Sikh Gurus, Punjab will face Modiji’s torture and save the whole country from it,” he said in the post.

“Attempts were made to dilute Punjab’s rights over river waters and take away the Panjab University to favour Haryana. Funds for the state’s rural development were also stopped,” he alleged.

Kejriwal claimed that AAP’s Rajya Sabha member Ashok Mittal joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after ED raids on his premises.

Sanjeev Arora was also raided, but he did not join the saffron party and hence, another raid was conducted against him, Kejriwal alleged.

“Immense pressure was put on him to join the BJP. Had he joined the BJP on the day of the first raid, the ED would not have raided him. Today’s raid was to teach him a lesson for not joining the BJP. Either join the BJP or get arrested,” he said.

Invoking Punjab’s history of resistance, the AAP chief said the land of the Gurus had once given a reply to Aurangzeb and would now do the same with Modi in the 2027 state assembly polls.

On the BJP’s position in Punjab, Kejriwal claimed that it does not even have suitable candidates for next year’s assembly polls. “That is why they are trying to break other parties and induct their leaders into the BJP.”

BJP slams Kejriwal over Aurangzeb swipe at PM

Chandigarh: After Kejriwal likened the PM to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Union minister of state for railways Ravneet Singh Bittu called the AAP supremo Ahmad Shah Abdali.

Talking to reporters here, Bittu said Kejriwal and CM Bhagwant Mann only remember the names of the Mughal rulers. “They remember the names of the Mughal rulers because their own work is like them,” the BJP leader alleged.

Hitting out at AAP leaders for linking the ED action with political motives of the BJP, he said wherever wrongdoing has been done, action will be taken.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar said the ED raids against Arora pertained to corruption and corrupt practices. He said Mann used to say that he will eliminate the “cancer of corruption”, but instead of stopping it, he is backing those indulging in such practices.

Taking a swipe at the CM, Jakhar said if the AAP government was truly “kattar imandar” (hardcore honest), it would have acted against the alleged corruption, instead of defending those involved.

ED raids highlights corruption charges against AAP: Bajwa

Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday said ED raids on AAP minister Sanjeev Arora and his arrest have once again highlighted serious corruption allegations against the ruling party.

Bajwa also questioned the timing of the action by the ED, saying that if there was sufficient evidence, steps should have been taken earlier. He said delayed action raises concerns about fairness in the use of central agencies.

The Congress leader demanded transparency and accountability from both the Punjab government and the Centre, and said justice should be ensured without bias.