‘This is Punjab and will not be intimidated by threats’: Bhagwant Mann after ED raids minister

New Delhi: am admi party (AAP) The Bharatiya Janata Party-led Center on Saturday accused the Center of using central agencies for political ends after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a fresh raid on Punjab Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora in a money laundering case related to alleged fake GST transactions worth over Rs 100 crore.The ED conducted raids at five locations in Delhi, Gurgaon and Chandigarh, including Arora’s official residence in Chandigarh and premises related to his colleagues and companies. Officials said the search was initiated under criminal sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and was part of a newly registered case.According to the agency, Arora and related entities are accused of generating fraudulent mobile phone purchase bills through a purportedly non-existent Delhi-based company. Investigators suspect these fake transactions were used to claim false input tax credit (ITC), goods and services tax (GST) refunds and export concessions. The education ministry also alleged that funds were transferred through exports and then “round-tripped” from Dubai to India to legitimize the illicit proceeds.Arora, 62, is an AAP MLA from Ludhiana West. Bhagwant Mann.

AAP says political vendetta exists

AAP leaders have strongly criticized the raids, saying they were politically motivated ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections scheduled for early 2027.Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann claimed that this was the third time the emergency department had visited Arora’s premises in a year and the second time in a month.Mann wrote in a post onAddressing a press conference in Sangrur, Mann accused the BJP of using agencies such as the education ministry, the Confederation of Indian Industry and the income tax department as “weapons” against the opposition-ruled state.“By conducting raids, their aim was not to find any black money or any illegal documents, their aim was to make the person at the raid site join the BJP and he will be forgiven for whatever he did,” Mann said.Aman Arora, president of AAP Punjab, also attacked the Centre, saying, “I want to tell the BJP, ED, CBI and the central government that Punjab is the land of Guru and Bhagat Singh. I asked them to stop. “A few weeks ago, the education ministry raided Arora and related entities under FEMA provisions and seized assets allegedly related to fake sales and exports worth Rs 157.12 crore. Arora earlier said he would cooperate fully with investigators and expressed confidence that “the truth will prevail.”