The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Tuesday strongly criticized the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for conducting raids at the residence and office of Jalandhar-based businessman Amit Bajaj, who is known for his close ties to the party. AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal accused the central agency of deliberately targeting Hindu traders, a move that drew sharp reactions from both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Kejriwal and Mann Lead the Charge
In a post on social media platform X, Kejriwal alleged, 'The ED party is once again conducting raids on Hindu traders in Punjab today... harassing small Hindu traders. I appeal to all traders—there is no need to panic. The entire state and the Punjab government are with you; we will confront the ED party together.' His comments directly attacked the BJP and the central agency.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann echoed similar sentiments, stating, 'The Hindu traders of Punjab are the backbone of our state's economic development and have made a huge contribution in building Rangla Punjab. The ED party wants to harass our traders by misusing central agencies. By doing so, they are trying to bring them to their side by exerting political pressure, which Punjabis will absolutely not tolerate. We stand with our traders.' Other AAP functionaries also made similar statements, with the party's national media in-charge posting, 'The ED party wants to instil fear in the minds of Hindu traders in Punjab. What a shameful thing it is that the ED party people seek votes from Hindus and are hell-bent on ruining Hindus themselves.'
Congress Slams AAP's Communal Strategy
The opposition Congress party criticized AAP for what it called a communal approach. Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira urged Kejriwal not to 'camouflage corruption with religion,' alleging that top AAP officials, including the chief minister's officer on special duty (OSD), are deeply involved in mega-corruption scandals in Punjab.
Another Congress MLA, Pargat Singh, posted, 'As elections approach, the BJP sees Sikhs among farmers and the Aam Aadmi Party sees Hindus among traders… The people of Punjab clearly understand the intentions of those trying to divide them for political gain.' Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa accused both the central and state governments of weaponizing agencies, pointing out that while the BJP misuses the ED, the AAP government weaponizes the state's Vigilance Bureau. Randhawa questioned AAP's sudden defense of Hindu traders, referring to the state government's recent action against the Trident Group factory in Barnala—owned by Rajya Sabha member Rajinder Gupta—after Gupta switched from AAP to the BJP. 'Would Kejriwal and Mann explain whether Gupta is not a Hindu?' Randhawa asked.
BJP Defends Central Agency
Punjab BJP president Kewal Dhillon defended the ED, questioning why the AAP government is so unnerved by anti-corruption crackdowns. 'Central agencies are only doing their job according to the law,' Dhillon said. 'The traders of Punjab are our crown jewels. Chief minister, stop using traders as a political tool and provide them protection from gangsters in Punjab. Instead of attracting even a single rupee of investment in four and a half years, your government's failures are forcing traders to wrap up their businesses and move to states like Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.'
The ED raids on Amit Bajaj have sparked a political firestorm in Punjab, with accusations and counter-accusations flying between the ruling AAP and opposition parties. The developments come ahead of upcoming elections, adding a communal dimension to the state's political discourse.
