Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan has strongly condemned the recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids in the state, alleging that the central government is using federal agencies as political tools to suppress the opposition.
Sandhwan accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of abusing the power of central agencies like the ED to intimidate political rivals.
He drew a parallel between the current situation in Punjab and the tactics used in West Bengal, stating that the BJP is deploying a similar “election strategy" to destabilize the AAP government ahead of upcoming polls.
The Speaker claimed that these raids are not about uncovering corruption but are aimed at creating an atmosphere of fear and shifting the political narrative in favor of the saffron party.
The statement comes in the wake of recent ED searches at multiple locations in Punjab, including those linked to associates of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). While the agency maintains that the probes are related to financial irregularities—specifically citing land-use scams and money laundering—Sandhwan dismissed these claims as baseless and politically motivated.
“The BJP’s strategy is clear: where they cannot win through votes, they send in the agencies. But the people of Punjab are aware and will not be intimidated by such tactics,” he said.
The Speaker reiterated that the Punjab government remains committed to its developmental agenda and will continue to challenge the “unconstitutional" interference of the central government in state matters.
