ED raids on Sanjeev Arora highlights corruption charges against AAP: Bajwa

Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday said ED raids on AAP minister Sanjeev Arora and his arrest have once again highlighted serious corruption allegations against the ruling party. Saying that the case is not an isolated one, Bajwa claimed that several senior AAP leaders and individuals close to the state government have faced investigations.

Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday said ED raids on AAP minister Sanjeev Arora and his arrest have once again highlighted serious corruption allegations against the ruling party. Bajwa also questioned the timing of the action by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), saying that if there was sufficient evidence, steps should have been taken earlier. He said delayed action raises concerns about fairness in the the use of central agencies. The LoP demanded transparency and accountability from both the Punjab government and the Centre, and said justice should be ensured without bias. Saying that the case is not an isolated one, Bajwa claimed that several senior AAP leaders and individuals close to the state government have faced investigations. He alleged that although the people of Punjab were promised honest governance, corruption issues continue to surface. AAP leaders often term such actions as political vendetta instead of addressing the allegations, the Congress leader alleged, and asked why senior AAP leaders frequently come under investigation. He sought a clear response from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP leadership on the matter. The ED on Saturday arrested Punjab industries minister Arora following raids in connection with an alleged Rs 100 crore GST fraud-related money laundering case involving certain entities linked to him, officials said. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann condemned the ED action, accusing the Centre of using agencies like the ED and the CBI as ''weapons'' to scare opposition leaders into joining the BJP. But the BJP hit back, saying AAP supremo and his party are rattled as they know that ''their days are numbered in Punjab''. According to officials, Arora (62) was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following early morning raids at his official residence in Chandigarh. They claimed that the minister was ''non-cooperative'' during the investigation. He will be brought to Delhi, where the case is registered, and the agency will seek his remand for custodial interrogation, the officials said.