After the ED arrested Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora for alleged money laundering, BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab Raghav Chadha attacked Aam Aadmi Party for what he called the “betrayal of Punjab, Punjabis and Punjabiyat.”
Chadha said AAP had promised to build a prosperous Punjab, but it has instead pushed the state towards financial ruin.
Accusing AAP of pushing “Rangla Punjab towards Kangla (bankrupt) Punjab”, Chadha said the state had given the party a mandate to govern, not run loot.
Reacting to reports that Rs 21 lakh in cash was thrown from a ninth-floor balcony during an Enforcement Directorate raid, Chadha questioned the legitimacy and source of the money.
He said no honest person would discard money earned through lawful means in such a manner.
“If this money had been earned honestly, nobody would throw it from the ninth floor during a raid. Forget Rs 21 lakh, no one would throw away even Rs 21 earned honestly,” Chadha said, adding that the incident raises serious questions regarding corruption and misuse of public funds.
Chadha referred to documents reportedly emerging during the investigation that allegedly point towards round-tripping of nearly hundreds of crores through companies based in UAE, Canada and Australia and said the alleged movement of funds through overseas entities indicates a large-scale corruption network operating behind the scenes.
”The documents suggest companies were created in UAE, Canada and Australia to facilitate round-tripping of funds. This is a betrayal of Punjab’s mandate,” Chadha said.
He added that the latest ED revelations validate concerns repeatedly raised earlier by leaders including seven Rajya Sabha MPs who had recently distanced themselves from the party.
“We repeatedly warned that AAP had fallen into the hands of the corrupt and compromised individuals. Whenever we tried raising these issues within the party, we were silenced,” he said, adding that while the state remains burdened with Rs 5 lakh crore debt, allegations about siphoning off of public money overseas are surfacing.
“Punjab deserves accountability. While investigative agencies will do their work, ultimate judgment will come from the people of Punjab,” said Chadha, adding that the people of Punjab will reject corruption, betrayal and misuse of public trust in the 2027 elections.
