New Delhi: The BJP on Saturday launched a blistering attack on Arvind Kejriwal after he likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu called Kejriwal “Ahmed Shah Abdali” over the Enforcement Directorate’s action against Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora.The political war of words erupted after the education ministry launched fresh searches against Punjab Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora and others associated with him as part of a money laundering probe. Arora was later arrested by the agency.Reacting to Kejriwal’s remarks, Bittu claimed that the AAP leadership remembered the Mughal rulers because “their own work was like theirs”.“Punjab has seen Ahmed Shah Abdulli again and Ahmed Shah Abdulli is Kejriwal,” Bittu told reporters, while accusing the AAP government in Punjab of “plunder and plunder”.
Kejriwal compares PM Modi with Aurangzeb
Earlier in the day, Kejriwal claimed that the BJP was using central agencies to pressure opposition leaders to join the saffron party.Addressing a press conference in Delhi, the former chief minister compared Prime Minister Modi with Aurangzeb and accused him of targeting Punjab through education ministry raids.“Punjab is the land of gurus. Centuries ago, Aurangzeb seized control of many parts of the country through crime and oppression. Modiji also seized control of many parts of the country through deceit,” Kejriwal said.He further claimed that Punjabis were being “mistreated” and alleged that the attack on Arora was politically motivated as the minister refused to join the BJP.The AAP national convener also claimed that agencies like ED and CBI no longer function independently.“Under Modi, these people are working hard to threaten, intimidate and divide opposition leaders and force them to join the BJP. The raid in Arora is an action in the same direction,” Kejriwal said.“Either join the BJP or get arrested,” Kejriwal claimed, referring to the ED’s action.
AAP ‘disturbed’ by corruption cases, says BJP
BJP leaders dismissed Kejriwal’s allegations and said the education ministry’s action was related to corruption allegations and not political vendettas.Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed that Kejriwal appeared nervous because he knew the investigation would eventually fall into his lap as well.“Arvind Kejriwal himself appears to be the mastermind behind the entire extortion conspiracy,” Sachdeva claimed, according to the Press Trust of India news agency.BJP spokesperson RP Singh said it was Kejriwal and not Prime Minister Modi who was behaving “like Aurangzeb” in Punjab.“This crackdown should not be seen as targeting AAP, but targeting corrupt elements,” Singh said. He also claimed that the Punjab government was deeply involved in corruption.Punjab PPP chief Sunil Jakhar also defended the ED raid, saying it involved corruption and corrupt practices.
Political tensions rise in Punjab
The ED raids were carried out in the wake of growing political unrest in Punjab and the recent joining of several AAP Rajya Sabha MPs to the Bharatiya Janata Party.Kejriwal claimed that former AAP MP Ashok Mittal joined the BJP after facing ED raids and claimed that Arora was also under similar pressure.Meanwhile, former AAP ally and member of Parliament Raghav Chadha accused the AAP government of betraying Punjab and causing the state to fall into financial difficulties, the Press Trust of India reported.He claimed documents that emerged after the Department of Education took action showed funds were being “travelled” through entities in the UAE, Canada and Australia.