Probe Agency Raids Punjab Minister's Premises, Bhagwant Mann Hits Out At BJP

The ED on Saturday carried out searches at four locations connected to Arora and his entities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002

09 May 2026, 07:43 · www.ndtv.com

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Enforcement Directorate searched four locations linked to Punjab Power Minister Sanjeev Arora
Raids occurred in Chandigarh and Delhi-NCR, including Arora's official ministerial residence
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann accused BJP of misusing central agencies to target political opponents

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted search operations at premises linked to Punjab Power Minister Sanjeev Arora, prompting a strong reaction from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who accused the Centre of misusing central agencies to target political opponents.

According to officials, the ED on Saturday carried out searches at four locations connected to Arora and his entities under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002. The raids were conducted in Chandigarh and the Delhi-NCR region. One of the locations included the official residence allotted to Arora as a minister.

Earlier on April 17, the ED had raided Arora and his linked entities under the civil provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

Arora, 62, is an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from the Ludhiana West assembly seat.

Mann Alleges Misuse Of Agencies

Reacting to the raids, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann criticised the BJP during a press conference, alleging that central agencies like the ED, CBI and Income Tax Department are being used as "political weapons."

Mann claimed that states heading into elections often see increased activity by such agencies, and said Punjab has now become the BJP's latest target.

"For a long time, they have been using them for their politics. Be it Maharashtra, Odisha, Bihar, Karnataka, West Bengal. Now, Punjab is on their target," Mann said.

"The purpose of ED raids is not to recover black money or documents. The real intention is to pressure leaders into joining the BJP by threatening their businesses and reputation," he added.

Mann also referred to AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal, claiming that raids were carried out at his residence and university for two days, after which he joined the BJP and the action stopped.

"If there were serious cases, where did they disappear?" Mann questioned, alleging political misuse of investigative agencies.

The Chief Minister said the ED raid at Sanjeev Arora's residence was the third such action in a year and the second this month. He added that previous raids had yielded nothing and accused the BJP of trying to intimidate leaders.

'Punjab Will Not Be Intimidated'

Sending a message to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Mann said Punjab would not bow to threats or pressure tactics. He cited the farmers' protest against the three farm laws as an example of Punjab forcing the Centre to take a "U-turn".

He further accused the BJP of targeting Punjab over issues such as Chandigarh, river waters and Punjab University, and of trying to divide communities for political gain.

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