Punjab witnessed massive protests by Aam Aadmi Party workers and leaders over the arrest of state minister Sanjeev Arora in the alleged money-laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate on Sunday. The protests soon turned into a big political drama where AAP accused the BJP-led Union government of abusing the powers of investigative agencies against its political opponents.
Large protests were reported in several districts like Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, Bathinda, Mohali, Ferozepur and Hoshiarpur where party workers protested against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sloganeering against the Prime Minister and accusing the Centre of playing “politics of intimidation”.
Arora, who is the power minister of Punjab, was arrested Saturday following fresh raids by the ED in his Chandigarh residence and the offices of his family-owned firm Hampton Sky Realty Limited. The agency is investigating a suspected ₹157-crore money laundering and financial fraud charge sheet against the said entities linked with the minister.
AAP leaders accused the agencies like ED, CBI and ITD for operating as “political weapons” to destroy elected opposition governments during the protests in the state.
The Cabinet Minister Balbir Singh organized a big protest march and attacked the BJP hard in Patiala. Speaking to the supporters, he charged the Centre with “bullying Punjab with raids and arrests” after AAP leaders “did not bow before Delhi.”
“The BJP believes in fear, coercion and misuse of agencies. Punjabis will always oppose oppression and they are going to fight against it together,” Singh added during the protest.
The arrest has further strained relations between the Punjab government and the Centre as AAP leaders had threatened to keep protesting till the end of “politically motivated targeting”.