AAP govt in Punjab shields corrupt people under ED's radar: BJP's Jhakar

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar on Saturday accused the AAP-led state government of protecting corruption and defending individuals being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate ED in alleged land-related cases. The BJP leaders remarks came after the ED arrested Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora in an alleged Rs 100-crore GST-linked money laundering case and raided builders, real estate firms and an alleged associate of Punjab AAP chief Aman Arora.

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar on Saturday accused the AAP-led state government of protecting corruption and defending individuals being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in alleged land-related cases. In a statement, Jakhar said the ED actions were not aimed at private individuals but were related to alleged misuse of land and Change of Land Use (CLU) permissions. He alleged that agricultural land purchased at low prices was later converted for real estate projects to earn large profits. The BJP leader's remarks came after the ED arrested Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora in an alleged Rs 100-crore GST-linked money laundering case and raided builders, real estate firms and an alleged associate of Punjab AAP chief Aman Arora. Jhakar said the issue was not limited to ministers Aman Arora or Sanjeev Arora but concerned alleged irregularities in land approvals and development projects. Referring to the Mohali case, Jakhar alleged irregularities in a 30-acre land deal linked to the Suntec City project and claimed that nearly Rs 170 crore was gained through undervaluation. He also alleged misuse of about 40 acres of land in Ludhiana by a firm linked to Sanjeev Arora. Jakhar further claimed that land originally acquired for industrial purposes was diverted for residential colonies and questioned why it was not returned to farmers if industries were not set up. He said that a government claiming to be honest should take action against corruption instead of defending those under investigation. Jakhar also alleged that the state leadership was trying to shield its associates. He added that people in Punjab were seeking accountability over what he described as corruption under the AAP government.