Anurag Dhanda: AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda has questioned the CBI searches carried out on Tuesday, including at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s camp office. In a post on X, he asked what the raids had found, and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sent the CBI to eight places across Punjab.
What the CBI Says
The CBI registered an FIR on the orders of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and after receiving a report from the Enforcement Directorate. Six people are booked, including Mann’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Rajbir Ghuman. The case concerns claims that public servants and middlemen influenced transfers, postings, approvals, tenders and licences for financial gain. The agency also alleges that drafts of orders and policies reached private persons before release.
Searches Across Seven Cities
Teams searched locations in Chandigarh, Mohali, Gurdaspur, Ludhiana, Patiala, Sangrur and Jalandhar. Laptops, mobile phones and documents were seized for scrutiny.
Dhanda’s Message to Delhi
“You cannot intimidate Punjab like this.”
Dhanda called the searches a sign of BJP desperation, saying the party cannot gain a foothold in Punjab.
Mann and AAP React
Mann alleged that the CBI and Enforcement Directorate were being used to defame his government. Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj said the BJP was repeating its “Delhi election formula” in Punjab with false cases.
What Comes Next
Anurag Dhanda: The elections are only months away, so the row is likely to sharpen. The reports I found do not carry a BJP response, and the CBI has not named any wrongdoing by the CM himself. The agency will now scrutinise the seized material.
