'ED party' harassing traders in Punjab: Bhagwant Mann slams BJP over raids
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday launched a fierce attack on the Modi government, accusing it of using the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to harass
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday launched a fierce attack on the Modi government, accusing it of using the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to harass local businessmen. His remarks followed fresh ED raids conducted in connection with a high-profile money laundering probe involving jailed Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora. "Hindu traders from Punjab are the backbone of our state's economic development and have made a significant contribution to building 'Rangla Punjab'," Mann asserted in a post on X.
Targeting the BJP—which the Aam Aadmi Party frequently mocks as the "ED party"—the Read Full Story Chief Minister alleged that central agencies are being systematically misused to intimidate the business community. He claimed the targeted raids are a calculated attempt to politically coerce traders into joining the BJP's fold, declaring that "Punjabis will absolutely not tolerate" such tactics and reiterating his administration's unwavering support for the trading community. The political firestorm erupted as the ED executed a fresh wave of searches across six distinct premises spanning Jalandhar and Ludhiana in Punjab, alongside Bareilly and Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
The central agency's operation is part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged Rs 100 crore GST fraud case revolving around the illicit sale of mobile phones. Arora, a 62-year-old Ludhiana-based industrialist and a prominent Hindu face for the AAP in Punjab, previously held the crucial portfolios of Power, Industry, and Commerce. He was arrested by the federal agency last month following an extensive, day-long raid at his official residence in Chandigarh and currently remains in judicial custody.
In the wake of his arrest, the Punjab government stripped Arora of his ministerial responsibilities and officially redistributed his portfolios to other cabinet members. Ends
The BriefWire