SANGRUR, MAY 9 — Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Saturday issued a scathing critique of the Central Government, asserting that investigative agencies are being misused to coerce Aam Aadmi Party leaders into defecting to the BJP. The Chief Minister’s remarks followed the arrest of Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora, an action Mann described as a blatant attempt to settle political scores rather than uncover financial irregularities.
The Chief Minister maintained that the Enforcement Directorate has adopted a strategy of conducting repetitive raids to apply psychological and political pressure. He stated that in cases like that of Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal, investigations were reportedly halted immediately after the leader switched his political allegiance. Mann declared that the objective of these operations is not the recovery of black money, but the forced expansion of the BJP through intimidation.
“Punjab is not scared of threats,” the Chief Minister affirmed, declaring that the state has a long history of resisting tyrannical forces. He maintained that agencies such as the CBI and the Income Tax Department have lost their independence and are now functioning as political tools for the central administration. Mann stated that the arrest of a sitting minister without substantial recovery during previous searches highlights the desperate nature of these tactics.
Addressing the media, the Chief Minister affirmed that the people of Punjab would provide a democratic response to this “murder of democracy.” He stated that the state’s social fabric and political resolve remain strong despite the Center’s attempts to create an atmosphere of fear. Mann declared that the AAP government would continue to serve the public with honesty and would not bow before the “dictatorial mindset” of the BJP-led government.
