Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal Target BJP After ED Arrests Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora
The Enforcement Directorate arrest of Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora has intensified a national political clash between Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP. Leaders accuse central agencies of targeting opposition figures, while Punjab authorities vow to defend their colleague and resist political pressure.
The arrest of Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora by the Enforcement Directorate has triggered a fresh political confrontation between the Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP, with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal strongly attacking the Centre over the action.
ED officials carried out a fresh search at Sanjeev Arora’s residence in Chandigarh’s Sector 2 on Saturday morning before taking him into custody. Around 20 vehicles were reportedly part of the operation. The agency had also conducted raids at Arora’s premises in Ludhiana earlier, making it the second major ED action against the minister within a month.
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Soon after the arrest, Bhagwant Mann accused the BJP-led Centre of misusing central agencies to target opposition leaders. In a sharp post on X, Mann said the ED had repeatedly raided Sanjeev Arora’s residence over the past year but had failed to recover anything substantial.
The Punjab Chief Minister also invoked Punjab’s history of resistance, stating that the state would never bow before political pressure. Mann alleged that the BJP was attempting to intimidate AAP leaders through investigative agencies ahead of key political battles.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal also backed the Punjab government’s stand and criticised what the party described as a pattern of politically motivated investigations against opposition leaders across the country. Party leaders claimed the repeated ED action against Sanjeev Arora was part of a broader attempt to weaken AAP’s leadership in Punjab.
The latest raid marks the third reported visit by the Enforcement Directorate to Sanjeev Arora’s residence within a year. However, the agency has not yet publicly disclosed the exact allegations or financial irregularities linked to the case.
Senior Punjab ministers, including Aman Arora and Harpal Singh Cheema, also criticised the operation and defended their colleague, turning the investigation into a larger political issue between the state government and the Centre.
With the ED yet to release a detailed statement, the arrest has intensified the ongoing political clash between AAP and the BJP, with Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal positioning the case as another example of opposition leaders being targeted through central agencies.
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