ED raids Punjab Power Minister Sanjeev Arora; Bhagwant Mann accuses BJP of using central agencies as political weapons

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticised the BJP at a press conference, alleging that central agencies like the ED, CBI and Income Tax Department are being used as political weapons to target opponents, and that Punjab has become the BJP's latest target. He claimed raids aim to pressure leaders into joining the BJP and cited the case of Ashok Mittal, noting that raids at Mittal's residence and university lasted two days before he joined the BJP and action stopped. Mann described the ED raid at Arora's residence as the third such action in a year and the second this month, and said previous raids yielded nothing. He pledged that Punjab would not bow to threats and pressure tactics and referenced past farmers' protests as an example of Punjab forcing a Centre U-turn.

The Enforcement Directorate conducted search operations at four locations connected to Arora and his entities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), including the minister's official residence, in Chandigarh and the Delhi-NCR region.

The Enforcement Directorate carried out raids on April 17 at premises linked to Punjab Power Minister Sanjeev Arora and his entities under the civil provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).