CHANDIGARH-With the BJP left without any issue to take to the people in Punjab, the Modi government has now resorted to the blatant misuse of central investigative agencies, with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raid at the camp office of CM Bhagwant Singh Mann just months before the Assembly elections exposing its desperation to gain a foothold in the state. Launching an all-out attack on the BJP and the Modi government, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann pointed out that the BJP has always pushed Punjabis aside, whether on the farmers’ protest, Punjab’s water or Panjab University, and has now turned its agencies against the elected Chief Minister of Punjab.
The Chief Minister said the CBI raid at his camp office is part of the BJP’s preparations for the Punjab elections and warned that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI would now be misused to defame the Punjab Government and him. He said the BJP was rattled by the love and support he was receiving from the people of Punjab.
In a statement, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated: “BJP has started preparing for the Punjab elections. A CBI raid was conducted at my camp office. Now ED and CBI will be misused in Punjab to defame the Punjab Government and me. Seeing the love and support I am receiving from the people, the BJP is rattled.”
Meanwhile, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal stated, “The CBI raid at the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office two months before the elections is a result of the BJP’s panic. Ever since the BJP government came to power at the Centre, it has always pushed Punjabis aside. Whether it was the Kisan Andolan, the issue of Punjab’s water, the issue of Panjab University, and now it is even acting against their elected Chief Minister.”
The AAP Chief asserted, “The BJP cannot win Punjab by fighting elections, so it wants to fight the elections with the help of the ED and CBI. But Punjabis have made up their minds, and in the upcoming elections, they will respond to the BJP’s CBI raid by giving Bhagwant Singh Mann more than 100 seats and making him the Chief Minister again.”
On the other hand, AAP Punjab Prabhari Manish Sisodia wrote on X, “While there is an uproar across the country over Operation Gyanesh Kumar, the CBI has been sent to Punjab as the BJP’s advance party for the elections. This raid is proof not of strength, but of panic.”
Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Harpal Singh Cheema asserted, “The BJP’s desperation is clearly visible ahead of the elections. Attempts are being made to defame the Bhagwant Mann Government by conducting a CBI raid at CM Bhagwant Singh Mann’s camp office. Punjab’s voice cannot be suppressed through the misuse of agencies such as the ED and CBI. We will fight this battle from the streets to Parliament and will not tolerate any kind of arbitrariness. The love and support of the people of Punjab is our strength.”
Harpal Singh Cheema further stated, “People are being intimidated and threatened across the country through the ED and CBI. As part of this, the CBI conducted a raid within 24 hours without waiting for our petition to be heard by the Supreme Court. This is an attempt to intimidate Punjabis. Punjab and Punjabis have never been afraid. The 3 crore Punjabis of the state are standing firmly with the Aam Aadmi Party and CM Bhagwant Singh Mann. They will give a befitting reply to the BJP’s malicious intentions and methods. We will not be afraid at all and will fight a decisive battle to protect the Constitution and democracy of the country, from the streets to Parliament and through legal proceedings.”
Meanwhile, reacting to the CBI raid, AAP Punjab President and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora stated, “Today, the CBI has conducted a raid at the camp office of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann. Through this CBI raid, the BJP has launched its 2027 election campaign. The BJP is panicking after seeing the work done by the Bhagwant Mann Government over the past nearly 4.5 years.”
He continued, “At the grassroots level, people are not even ready to see the BJP, and in this panic, the BJP is misusing its investigative agencies to have this raid conducted. The people of Punjab are courageous and have always given a befitting reply to injustice. In the upcoming elections too, the people of Punjab will give the BJP a strong response to this ‘dhakka’ (high-handedness).”
Senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh stated, “The BJP has only one weapon in every election: the misuse of investigative agencies such as the ED and CBI. The people of Punjab are watching how the BJP is trying to defame the Bhagwant Mann Government, which has done exemplary work in providing people with free electricity, water, education and healthcare. The people of Punjab will give an answer to this dictatorship in the elections.”
On the other hand, AAP Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj wrote on X, “The CBI has conducted a raid at the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office. The Modi Government is repeating exactly the same Delhi election formula in Punjab. Desperate to gain a political foothold in Punjab, the BJP Government will now file false cases and carry out high-profile arrests. The people of Punjab can see what the BJP did to the people of Delhi after winning the election through deception. This ‘dhokhadhadi’ (fraud) will not be repeated in Punjab.”
AAP National Media In-charge Anurag Dhanda wrote on X, “The CBI raid at the Punjab Chief Minister’s camp office is PM Modi’s desperation. The BJP is unable to gain even a political foothold in Punjab. That is why it has deployed the CBI. PM Modi, do not remain under any illusion, you cannot intimidate Punjab like this. Punjabis do not bow down like this."