Fatehgarh (Punjab) [India], May 9 (ANI): Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that the party “doesn’t love Punjab, it hates Punjab,” while accusing it of fomenting unrest in different parts of the country.
Addressing a press conference, Mann said, “BJP doesn’t love Punjab. It hates Punjab… The BJP’s working style is to first incite riots and fights wherever they go… Bengal is already on fire… But this polarisation won’t succeed in Punjab. Sometimes they send the ED, CBI, or IT… But Punjabis cannot be threatened. That is what they did to Ashok Mittal. They sent ED, which conducted raids for two days. Then he joined the BJP, which shielded him. What happened to the ED case then?…”
Earlier in the day, Mann alleged that the BJP has been using central investigative agencies, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Income Tax Department, against political rivals.
“For the past few years, Punjab has been experiencing the BJP’s way of working. BJP has weapons of ED, CBI and Income Tax, which it has been using. And now, Punjab is on the BJP’s target. Currently, ED is raiding Sanjeev Arora’s premises,” Mann said.
He further asserted that Punjab would not be intimidated by such actions and strongly condemned the raids conducted by the ED.
“I want to tell the BJP that Punjab is not scared of threats. I condemn ED’s actions,” he said.
Mann also claimed that attempts to create communal divisions in Punjab would not succeed, stressing the strong social harmony in the state.
“In Punjab, the Hindu-Sikh brotherhood is very strong. I want to tell the BJP that their politics of hate will not work in Punjab,” he added.
His remarks came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids on Saturday at multiple locations linked to Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora in connection with an ongoing alleged Rs 100 crore money laundering probe.
The ED has arrested Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora in connection with an ongoing Rs 100 crore money laundering investigation linked to alleged fraudulent Goods and Services Tax (GST) transactions, officials said.
Arora’s arrest came after a day-long search operation carried out across multiple locations associated with him and his business entities. The raids were conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.
According to officials, ED teams initiated coordinated searches early on Saturday at five premises spread across Delhi, Gurugram and Chandigarh. Of these, four locations were directly linked to Arora and his associated entities, while one office premises belonged to Hampton Sky Realty Limited, which is also under the agency’s scanner in the case. (ANI)