NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday accused the BJP-led Centre of using central agencies for political purposes after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out fresh searches linked to Punjab Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora in a money laundering case involving alleged fake GST transactions worth more than Rs 100 crore.The ED conducted raids at five locations across Delhi, Gurugram and Chandigarh, including Arora’s official residence in Chandigarh and premises linked to his associates and companies. Officials said the searches were launched under the criminal provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) as part of a newly registered case.According to the agency, Arora and linked entities are accused of generating fraudulent purchase bills of mobile phones through allegedly non-existent firms based in Delhi. Investigators suspect the fake transactions were used to claim wrongful input tax credit (ITC), GST refunds and export benefits. The ED also alleged that funds were routed through exports and later “round-tripped” from Dubai to India to legitimise illegal gains.Arora, 62, is an AAP MLA from Ludhiana West and serves as the power and industries minister in the government led by Bhagwant Mann.
AAP alleges political vendetta
AAP leaders strongly criticised the raids, calling them politically motivated ahead of Punjab’s assembly elections scheduled for early 2027. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann claimed this was the third ED visit to Arora’s premises in a year and the second within a month.In a post on X, Mann wrote: “Today, once again, the BJP’s ED has come to Sanjeev Arora’s house. In one year, this is the third time the BJP’s ED has come to his house. And in the last one month, the second time. Yet, they haven’t found anything. I want to tell Modi ji that Punjab is the land of the Gurus, which even Aurangzeb could not subdue.”Addressing a press conference in Sangrur, Mann accused the BJP of using agencies like the ED, CBI and Income Tax Department as “weapons” against opposition-ruled states.“By conducting ED raids, their purpose is not to find any black money or any illegal document, their purpose is to convey to the person at whose premises the raid is carried out to join the BJP, and everything he has done will be forgiven,” Mann said.Punjab AAP president Aman Arora also attacked the Centre, saying, “I want to tell the BJP, ED, CBI and the Central govt that Punjab is a land of gurus and Bhagat Singh. I ask them to stop their actions.”The latest action comes weeks after the ED raided Arora and linked entities under FEMA provisions and attached assets allegedly linked to bogus sales and exports worth Rs 157.12 crore. Arora has earlier said he would fully cooperate with investigators and expressed confidence that “the truth will prevail”.
