Punjab CM Mann dares Centre on CBI/ED raids, says they'll go empty-handed

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann slammed the Centre over CBI/ED raids on his OSD's premises, saying they'd find nothing. BJP leaders retorted, citing a High Court order for the probe and claiming seizure of incriminating evidence in GLADA/GMADA scams.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday launched a verbal attack on the Central Government regarding the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Speaking at a press conference in Barwal village in Dhuri, he stated that the BJP government at the Centre should be prepared for elections, whether in West Bengal or Delhi. He remarked that while cases have been referred to the ED and CBI, they will find nothing in Punjab and will return empty-handed.

His remarks came after the CBI conducted searches on Tuesday at House Number 50 in Chandigarh's Sector 2 area in connection with a case involving Punjab Chief Minister's Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Rajbir Singh Ghuman and his associates.

BJP Hits Back at Mann

Meanwhile, Delhi Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa tore into Mann, stating that the CBI has clearly said in a press release that they have found mobile phones and chats spanning 200 pages, revealing Greater Ludhiana Area Development Authority (GLADA) and Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) scams. "The CBI, in its press release, clearly stated that electronic gadgets, including phones and chats spanning 200 pages related to scams worth thousands of crores, have all been seized. All the scams involving GLADA and GMADA will come to light," he said.

He further alleged that the Punjab CM has destroyed at least 50 mobile phones to erase the evidence, adding that now that the CBI has uncovered the chats, he cannot escape the consequences. "Rajbir Singh Ghuman will run now, and mobile phones will be smashed! Mark my words: they have destroyed at least 50 mobile phones in an effort to erase all the evidence. But I want to tell them, all these chats are already with the CBI; you cannot escape!" he asserted.

'Raids Under High Court Orders'

Furthermore, Punjab BJP President Kewal Singh Dhillon said that the CBI raids were conducted under explicit directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court and not at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party. "The matter of the raid is very clear. Look, the ED wrote a letter to the Punjab Police saying that they should investigate the person who made a mistake, who stole, and who did wrong. But they didn't do any work. So finally, when it reached the High Court, the raids conducted by the ED and the CBI were done according to the orders of the High Court. The CBI raid happened according to the laws of the High Court, as per its orders. What does the BJP have to do with that?" he remarked.

Targeting the AAP leadership over state governance and rising issues across Punjab, the BJP leader questioned why the ruling administration feels panicked if no wrongdoings had occurred, stressing that they should show the concerned papers and the CBI will clear them. "I want to say that if they haven't done anything wrong, though wrong things have happened all over Punjab, whether it's gangsterism or corruption today, and whatever they have done about corruption, and they aren't giving allowances to employees, or to farmers, or to anyone, but still, if they haven't done anything wrong, then what are they afraid of? They should come forward and show their papers, and the CBI will clear them," he said.

High Court Orders CBI Probe

Earlier, the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the CBI to probe corruption allegations involving Mann’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Rajbir Singh Ghuman. The CBI has registered an FIR to investigate allegations of corruption against the OSD to the Punjab Chief Minister and his associates, the agency said in a release.

The allegations include influencing and manipulating postings of officers, including IAS and IPS officers, departmental proceedings, policy formulation, administrative approvals, tender conditions, licensing matters, land-use conversion, property disputes, and revenue and land-related issues in lieu of pecuniary benefits, according to the CBI. The agency also alleged that the accused public servants purportedly accessed and provided drafts of government orders and policies to private persons before their issuance. (ANI)

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