The BJP on Saturday sharply attacked AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal after he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of using central agencies to target
opposition leaders following fresh ED raids against Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora. The saffron party said the AAP and its leadership were “rattled” because they knew “their days are numbered in Punjab”, while defending the Enforcement Directorate’s action as a crackdown on corruption and not a political attack. The political clash erupted after Kejriwal addressed a press conference and posted on X, alleging that the ED and CBI were being used to “threaten, scare and break away opposition leaders and force them to join the BJP”. Referring to the fresh raids against Arora, Kejriwal claimed, “The raid against Arora is an action in the same direction.” In the post, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor likened the prime minister to Aurangzeb and wrote that like the Mughal emperor, "Modiji has dishonestly occupied various parts of the country and has now reached Punjab."
BJP Accuses AAP Government Of Corruption
Responding to Kejriwal’s allegations, BJP spokesperson R P Singh alleged that the entire AAP government in Punjab was steeped in corruption and said action by probe agencies should not be viewed as politically motivated.“The crackdown should not be seen as against the AAP but against corrupt people, and there is nothing wrong with the ED taking such action,” Singh said, adding, "In reality, it is Kejriwal who is behaving like Aurangzeb in Punjab. Punjab today is troubled by these Aurangzeb-like actions of his."
He also accused the Punjab Police of targeting political opponents while failing to act against issues such as killings, the drug mafia, and the sand mafia in the state. Singh further alleged that pressure was exerted on an official in a corruption case linked to former Punjab minister Laljit Singh Bhullar.
Former AAP MPs Escalate Attack On Party
Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha accused the AAP of betraying Punjab’s mandate and pushing the state towards financial ruin. Claiming that he and six other Rajya Sabha MPs severed ties with the party due to corruption, Chadha alleged that attempts to raise concerns internally were suppressed.He further claimed that documents emerging after the ED action pointed to “round-tripping” of funds through entities in the UAE, Canada and Australia. “The real action against the Aam Aadmi Party will be taken by the people of Punjab in February 2027,” he said.
The ED on Saturday conducted fresh searches at five premises linked to Arora, including his official residence in Chandigarh, as part of a money laundering investigation.
(With Inputs from PTI)
