As Punjab heads towards the 2027 Assembly elections, investigative agencies functioning under the BJP-led Central government and the AAP state government are actively targeting political rivals.
Sources have revealed that more politicians, especially leaders from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), could be in serious trouble in the near future, particularly in the long-pending sacrilege cases.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), under the BJP-led Centre, has been conducting raids on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and their associates.
On the other hand, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, controlled by the AAP government, has intensified probes against Congress leaders and is likely to initiate action against several other senior Congress leaders on charges of corruption and disproportionate assets. The ED has targeted two prominent AAP leaders in quick succession, while the state Vigilance Bureau continues its scrutiny of former Congress chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi. The Enforcement Directorate conducted searches at multiple premises linked to Punjab Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora (AAP MLA from Ludhiana West), his family members (including son Kavya Arora).
The raids, under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), covered around 13 locations across Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh, focusing on alleged financial irregularities and land-related issues. Arora, who is currently on an official visit to Europe, has said he would fully cooperate with the agency. Just two days earlier, on April 15, the ED had raided properties linked to AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal and his family’s business entities, including premises connected to Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, residences in Jalandhar, and sites in Gurugram. These raids were also conducted under FEMA over alleged fund mismanagement. AAP leaders, including Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, have strongly criticised the back-to-back actions as “politically motivated” and an attempt by the BJP to destabilise the party ahead of the 2027 polls.
