Raids politically motivated, BJP using CBI & ED to crush opposition voices: Aman Arora

Chandigarh: Reacting to the recent CBI and ED raids in the state, Punjab minister Aman Arora said the action was political vendetta driven by the BJP-led Centre. He asserted that central agencies were being "systematically misused" to target opposition voices and govts that refused to bow down.After taking over as industries minister, Arora told media that the BJP was openly using agencies like CBI and ED to serve its political interests, instead of ensuring justice and transparency. "The raids are politically motivated and aimed at pressuring Punjab's governance system. Corruption will not be tolerated on the land of Punjab, but any investigation must follow due process and established protocol," he said.Expressing constitutional concerns, Arora said that federalism had its own dignity and balance, which the Centre was deliberately destroying. He criticised the Centre for bypassing coordination mechanisms and said that Punjab could not be intimidated or controlled like other states. He added, "The Centre has completely broken institutional decorum and targeted Punjab vigilance through CBI interference. Punjab govt stands firmly with its officers and will not allow misuse of power or intimidation tactics." He urged the Centre to respect constitutional boundaries and stop misusing investigative agencies for political revenge. "Without going into the specifics of the CBI probe, a certain decorum has to be maintained. At the broader level, the CBI wants to prove that there is rampant corruption in the Punjab vigilance department. If the Centre had a tip-off about irregularities in the state, they should have alerted us and vice versa. The Centre has stopped this system. This is not how things work," he said. The portfolios held by Sanjeev Arora were reallocated to three existing ministers following his arrest by the ED on Saturday in a money laundering case. ARORA JUSTIFIES PROTESTS BY AAP WORKERS Replying to a question about protests by AAP workers outside BJP offices, Arora, who is also AAP's state president, said, "Every action has an equal and opposition reaction. Who started it? The Centre indulged in gundagardi through the central agencies and the entire Punjab cannot be a mute spectator." In Ludhiana, BJP leaders had gathered outside the police commissionerate on Tuesday to protest against alleged "hooliganism" by AAP workers during Sunday's demonstrations outside BJP offices. ‘I AM A STOP-GAP ARRANGEMENT' Asked if Sanjeev Arora will get back his portfolios on his return, Arora said, "Although allocation of portfolios is the prerogative of the chief minister and the party's national convener, I consider myself a stop-gap arrangement industries minister, and I would want this portfolio to be given back to Sanjeev Arora when he returns. As it is, he continues to be a minister." Arora heaped praise on Sanjeev Arora as a "hardworking" and "workaholic" minister and said that he effectively managed three key portfolios.