"Punjab is now their target...": Bhagwant Mann Accuses Centre Of Misusing ED After Raids On Minister

Fresh political tensions erupted in Punjab on Saturday after the Enforcement Directorate carried out raids at properties associated with Punjab Power Minister Sanjeev Arora, leading Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to accuse the Centre of weaponising investigative agencies against opposition parties.

Officials said the searches were conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) at four premises linked to Sanjeev Arora and businesses connected to him. The operations took place across Chandigarh and parts of the Delhi-NCR region.

Among the locations searched was the official government residence allotted to Sanjeev Arora in his capacity as a Cabinet minister. The raids come less than a month after the ED had initiated action against Arora and related entities under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) on April 17. Arora, a senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party, is currently the MLA from Ludhiana West.

Responding to the development, Bhagwant Mann accused the BJP-led Centre of systematically using central agencies to weaken political rivals in states governed by opposition parties. The Punjab Chief Minister alleged that organisations such as the ED, the CBI and the Income Tax Department had increasingly become instruments of political pressure. “For a long time, they have been using them for their politics. Be it Maharashtra, Odisha, Bihar, Karnataka, West Bengal. Now, Punjab is on their target,” Mann said.

He further claimed that the intent behind such raids extended beyond financial investigations. “The purpose of ED raids is not to recover black money or documents. The real intention is to pressure leaders into joining the BJP by threatening their businesses and reputation,” he alleged.

Mann also cited the example of Ashok Mittal, claiming that central agencies had earlier raided his home and educational institution before the matter later faded away. “If there were serious cases, where did they disappear?” he asked, while alleging selective use of investigative powers for political ends.

According to Bhagwant Mann, the latest operation against Arora was the third ED action targeting him within a year and the second conducted this month. He maintained that previous searches had failed to uncover any wrongdoing and accused the BJP of attempting to create fear among opposition leaders through repeated investigations and public scrutiny.

In remarks directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Mann asserted that Punjab would not be intimidated by what he described as pressure tactics from the Centre.

Drawing parallels with the farmers’ protest against the now-repealed farm laws, Mann said Punjab had previously forced the Union government into taking a “U-turn” and would continue to resist attempts at political coercion.

The Chief Minister further alleged that the BJP was trying to politically corner Punjab over issues linked to Chandigarh, sharing of river waters and Panjab University, while also attempting to create divisions among communities for electoral benefit.