ED action against Arora politically motivated: AAP

Chandigarh: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday termed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid at the residence of minister Sanjeev Arora and his subsequent arrest as "completely politically motivated," accusing the BJP-led Centre of misusing central agencies to target opposition leaders.AAP leaders alleged that whenever the BJP senses electoral setbacks, it attempts to stifle opposition voices by unleashing investigative agencies. "The action against Sanjeev Arora is part of the same politics of vendetta," they said.Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema claimed that the BJP has a history of allegedly misusing agencies like the ED and CBI to manipulate elections and destabilise elected governments. "The same dirty game is now being played in Punjab. This is not merely a raid on Sanjeev Arora; it is an attack on Punjab and the pride of its three crore people," he said, adding that the BJP, frustrated by repeated political failures, was targeting Punjab through central agencies.Questioning the role of investigative bodies, Cheema alleged, "BJP's sole agenda is to eliminate opposition parties. Earlier Aman Arora was targeted, and now Sanjeev Arora. Intoxicated with power, BJP is misusing constitutional institutions to intimidate opposition leaders so that no one dares to speak against it."Cabinet minister Aman Arora also alleged political vendetta, stating that the BJP was making desperate attempts to gain political ground in Punjab by misusing central agencies. "This is the third raid at Sanjeev Arora's residence within a year and the second in just 10 days. These raids are not about investigation but intimidation. The sole objective is to scare and defame AAP leaders," he said.Invoking Punjab's historical legacy, Aman Arora said attempts to intimidate the state would fail. "Punjab is the land of Gurus and martyrs. If Aurangzeb could not crush its spirit, how can the BJP do so? This is the land of Bhagat Singh and Udham Singh, whom even the British could not bend," he said.Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian and AAP leader Deepak Bali alleged that the BJP was using central agencies as a shield for what they described as "dirty politics". Minister Barinder Goyal and MLA Kuldeep Dhaliwal termed the action "repressive politics" and alleged that the BJP was trying to intimidate opponents into joining the party.AAP leaders also questioned the impartiality of the ED, claiming that Sanjeev Arora is a "successful businessman" and alleging selective targeting. They asked why agencies allegedly do not act against influential political families who, they claimed, accumulated vast wealth after entering politics.The party asserted that its leaders would not be cowed down by raids or arrests. "You have already jailed Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Sanjay Singh, yet none of them bowed down. Neither Sanjeev Arora nor any soldier of the Aam Aadmi Party will be intimidated," the party said in a statement.