Raghav Chadha slams AAP over ED raids, alleges betrayal in Punjab

BJP's Raghav Chadha slammed the AAP government in Punjab after ED raids on minister Sanjeev Arora. He accused AAP of betraying the state's mandate and turning 'Rangla Punjab' into 'Kangla Punjab' through large-scale financial irregularities.

Rajya Sabha MP and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Raghav Chadha on Saturday launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), following the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora, alleging large-scale financial irregularities and a betrayal of public trust in the state.

Chadha said that while AAP had promised to make Punjab "Rangla Punjab", it had instead "ruined the state's economy" and turned it "Kangla Punjab".

Speaking to ANI, Chadha said, "By showing the dream of making Punjab 'Rangla', Aam Aadmi Party has looted the treasury of Punjab and made it 'Kangla'... The reports that Rs 21 lakh cash was thrown in a bag from a balcony during the ED raid, and around Rs 100 crore of funds was round-tripped, show that this was a huge betrayal of the mandate they recieved in Punjab. AAP has betrayed Punjab, Punjabi, and Punjabiyat."

He further added that while investigative agencies will carry out their work, the ultimate accountability will be decided by the people of Punjab. "The 7 MPs who cut ties with AAP said, while leaving, that the party is completely trapped in the hands of corrupt and compromised people. Whenever we tried to raise such issues within the party, we were silenced. But the things coming forward after raids by agencies are shocking... The agencies will take action, but the real action will be taken by the people of Punjab in the next Assembly elections," Chadha told ANI.

ED Arrests Minister in Money Laundering Probe

His remarks came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out raids on Saturday at multiple locations linked to Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora in connection with an ongoing alleged Rs 100 crore money laundering probe.

Meanwhile, the ED on Saturday arrested Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora in connection with an ongoing Rs 100 crore money laundering investigation linked to alleged fraudulent Goods and Services Tax (GST) transactions, officials said.

Arora's arrest came after a day-long search operation carried out across multiple locations associated with him and his business entities. The raids were conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), 2002.

According to officials, ED teams initiated coordinated searches early on Saturday at five premises spread across Delhi, Gurugram and Chandigarh. Of these, four locations were directly linked to Arora and his associated entities, while one office premises belonged to Hampton Sky Realty Limited, which is also under the agency's scanner in the case.

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