Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu on Wednesday called out the BJP-led Central Government of deliberately attempting to weaken the Punjab government by withholding the state’s funds, misusing central investigative agencies for political purposes and running a sustained campaign to malign the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.

Addressing a press conference, AAP Punjab Media In-charge Baltej Pannu said that before the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections, the BJP and its supporters had attempted to create fear among people by claiming that the AAP government lacked experience and would not be able to function effectively. “The people of Punjab rejected that narrative and gave a clear mandate to AAP. They said this government had no experience, would not be able to deliver and that the Chief Minister would not even last three months. But the people of Punjab had made up their minds that they would not repeat the mistake of 2017 and gave Bhagwant Mann a clear mandate,” he said.

The AAP Punjab Media In-charge said that after the AAP government came to power, the Centre started withholding Punjab’s funds one after another. “The RDF money running into thousands of crores is still pending with the Centre. Even MGNREGA was effectively weakened by changing its framework and name, which impacted Punjab,” he said.

Referring to the floods in Punjab, Baltej Pannu said that despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the state and being apprised of the extensive losses caused by the floods, Punjab received only ₹1,600 crore, which he described as token assistance. “The promised additional support had also failed to materialise. The Bhagwant Singh Mann government continued its development and welfare work despite financial constraints created by the Centre,” he added.

“They thought that if Punjab’s funds were stopped, the government would not be able to build schools, strengthen the health system, establish Mohalla Clinics, improve hospitals or construct roads. But the government continued working because it had honesty and the determination to deliver,” he said.

Highlighting the state government’s work in education, Baltej Pannu said Punjab had overtaken Kerala and emerged as a leading state in the sector. “The establishment of the Sadak Surakhya Force (SSF), which he said was working to save lives on Punjab’s roads, as well as the ongoing ‘Yudh Nashean Virudh’ campaign against drugs with public participation,” he added.

The AAP Punjab Media In-charge pointed out, “BJP is repeatedly using old videos and selective narratives to portray Punjab in a negative light. Central investigative agencies were being deployed around elections with the objective of undermining elected governments. Whenever elections approach in a state, the BJP launches agencies like the CBI and ED. Their only objective is to find ways to undermine the work of CM Bhagwant Singh Mann and create a perception that his government has failed,” he said.

Baltej Pannu said similar attempts had been made against welfare initiatives such as the Mawan-Dheeyan Satkar Yojna, but the Bhagwant Mann government successfully implemented such schemes despite opposition.

On recent developments involving the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Baltej Pannu accused the agency of attempting to create a negative media narrative against AAP leaders. Referring to AAP Minister Sanjeev Arora, he said, “He is still in jail and has been subjected to harassment, while allegations are being levelled against ministers one after another.”

Baltej Pannu also questioned the ED’s communications with the Punjab Police, saying that media reports about letters allegedly sent by the ED to the Director General of Police (DGP) were being repeatedly highlighted while the response sought by the Punjab Police from the agency was being ignored. “The Punjab Police has asked the ED to provide clear evidence and complete details of the case. If the material being shown is merely unclear screenshots of chats, how can an FIR be registered on that basis? The ED should provide the documents and details so that the matter can be taken forward. But there is no answer,” he said.

Baltej Pannu said repeated leaks and selective media reports were aimed at maligning Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann because the BJP had failed to find anything against him. “The people of Punjab know the truth. They have seen the work done by the Bhagwant Mann government despite every possible obstacle. The BJP can continue its attempts to malign the Chief Minister, but the people have already made up their minds. In the coming Assembly elections, Punjab will once again elect Bhagwant Singh Mann to continue serving the state,” he said.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab President and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora on Wednesday tore into the Enforcement Directorate (ED), pointing out that the central investigative agency is using repeated letters, selective media leaks and unclear allegations to malign the AAP leadership instead of providing substantive evidence. He said the Punjab Police had already sought complete documents and electronic data from the agency, but the ED had failed to provide clear and usable evidence.

The AAP Punjab State President Arora affirmed that the BJP’s larger aim is to create chaos, intimidate political leadership and keep government officers under pressure so that the elected Punjab Government could not function effectively. Aman Arora said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been right in his earlier criticism of the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation), asserting that the ED and CBI had today become “BJP’s parrots.”

Addressing the media, AAP Punjab President and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora said, “The repeated communications sent by the ED to the Punjab DGP, including its latest letter seeking registration of an FIR under Section 66(2), reflected the ‘desperation and frustration’ of the BJP-led Central Government. The Punjab Police had already written to the ED on August 28, seeking complete documentary and electronic evidence in support of the allegations.”

The AAP Punjab President pointed out, “The Punjab Police has clearly told the ED that the material provided so far is either unclear or not readable and that complete evidence, documents and electronic data seized during searches should be provided so that a proper investigation can be conducted. The ED was asked to send an officer with the relevant material on September 1, but no such officer has appeared.”

Taking potshots at the functioning of Central agencies, Aman Arora recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s criticism of the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) during his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister, when he had described the agency as a “parrot” of the Central Government. “Today, I agree 100% with what Narendra Modi had said then. Whether it is the ED, CBI or other Central agencies, they are functioning like the BJP-led government’s parrots,” he said.

Aman Arora pointed out that the ED is deliberately floating the names of AAP leaders, including Sanjeev Arora, Lal Chand Kataruchak and himself, in the media without establishing any wrongdoing. He also noted that attempts are being made to reach him through his long-time friend Gaurav Dhir.

Presenting the chronology of the case, Aman Arora said the Change of Land Use (CLU) approvals relating to the Altus project were granted on six occasions, but not a single CLU was granted during the tenure of the AAP Government. “The approvals dated November 17, 2000, May 14, 2012, June 25, 2013, February 17, 2018, March 7, 2018 and March 7, 2022 fell under previous Congress or Akali-BJP governments,” he noted.

The Cabinet Minister further said the layout plans had been changed multiple times between 2011 and 2025, with several such changes taking place under previous governments. “If the ED believes these approvals and changes were illegal, it should investigate the entire chronology and not selectively target the AAP Government,” Aman Arora said.

Aman Arora also questioned the ED’s focus on the 25% land ownership policy for developers. He said the policy originated under the 2012 Akali-BJP Government and was subsequently changed by the AAP Government in 2025. “The AAP Government changed the policy to require developers to own 100% of the land before obtaining a licence and CLU, thereby correcting a flawed earlier policy,” he asserted.

Aman Arora also questioned the ED’s reliance on FIRs connected with the case, stating that the relevant FIRs had already been quashed by the High Court. “If the FIR itself has been quashed, what basis remains for the ECIR?” he asked.

Calling for a complete and impartial investigation, Aman Arora said the ED should examine the entire period during which the relevant approvals and policy decisions were taken instead of selectively targeting the present government. “If your investigation is genuine, investigate everyone. Call all those who were responsible from 2012 onwards. Then the truth will emerge,” he said, naming former Punjab Chief Ministers and ministers Sukhbir Singh Badal and Captain Amarinder Singh, as well as Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Sukhwinder Singh Sukhsarkaria, who held the concerned department at different times.

Rejecting attempts to link Gaurav Dhir with him to create a political narrative, Aman Arora said their friendship had nothing to do with any alleged wrongdoing. “Gaurav was my friend yesterday, is my friend today and will remain my friend tomorrow. If the ED has anything against Aman Arora, it should speak to Aman Arora directly instead of using someone else’s name as a route to reach me,” he said.

Aman Arora also appealed to the print, electronic and social media to independently verify the allegations levelled by the ED and seek the version of the concerned AAP leaders before publishing reports. He said repeated publication of unverified allegations was damaging reputations and could compel affected individuals to consider legal action for defamation. “This is not about avoiding investigation. We welcome a genuine investigation based on facts and evidence. But selective targeting, media leaks and attempts at character assassination cannot substitute for evidence,” Aman Arora said.

He pointed out that the BJP’s larger strategy is to create confusion, intimidate political leadership and keep government officers under pressure so that the elected government could not function effectively. “The people of Punjab understand what is happening. The BJP has no answer on governance and development, so it wants to create chaos and fear,” he said.

Aman Arora reiterated that if the ED has genuine evidence, it should hand it over to the Punjab Police as already requested and allow the law to take its course. “If there is evidence, present it. Let the investigation happen properly. But this politics of selective notices and newspaper headlines will not work,” he said.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab Chief Spokesperson and MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Wednesday launched a blistering attack on the BJP-led Central Government and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), pointing out that the BJP is using the central agency as a political weapon after failing to build any mass base in Punjab. Calling the ED the BJP’s “parrot”, he pointed out that repeated letters and media-driven actions were aimed not at any genuine investigation but at creating an atmosphere to defame the Punjab Government and AAP leaders.

The AAP Punjab Chief Spokesperson said that despite the Punjab Police asking the ED to send an officer to Police Headquarters to clarify unreadable documents, no ED officer appeared on the scheduled date. He declared the BJP as being responsible for the martyrdom of over 750 farmers during the farmers’ movement and said that attempts to intimidate AAP leaders by sending them to jail had failed, as the party remained united and would not bow before the BJP’s pressure tactics.

Addressing a press conference, AAP Punjab Chief Spokesperson Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said, “On August 28, the DGP, Punjab, clearly wrote to the ED that the documents sent by it were not readable. The police administration asked the ED to send one of its responsible officers to Police Headquarters on September 1 with the documents. But no officer came. This clearly shows that the ED’s aim is not to conduct an investigation, but solely to defame the Punjab Government and its leaders in the media.”

Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said the conduct of the ED demonstrated that the agency was being used as a political instrument against the AAP. “The sole objective of the ED and BJP is to stop the unprecedented development works taking place in Punjab and to mentally harass and defame AAP leaders. But the BJP should not forget that it has already tried to imprison our senior leaders, and the AAP stood united like a rock,” he said.

The AAP Punjab Chief Spokesperson warned the BJP that repeated use of the ED and CBI would not weaken the AAP or its leadership. “No matter how many attempts the ED and CBI make, the people of Punjab will once again form an Aam Aadmi Party Government in the 2027 elections. AAP leaders accepted going to jail, but they did not bow before the BJP’s dictatorship,” he said.

Calling the BJP “Punjab’s number one enemy”, Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said, “The BJP caused the martyrdom of more than 750 farmers from Punjab during the farmers’ movement, withheld Punjab’s development funds and created obstacles at every step in the development of the state. The people of Punjab have seen all of this and will give their answer through the ballot.”

Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said, “We are not going to be afraid of these false cases. Just as truth prevailed in Delhi and false cases were exposed, truth will prevail in Punjab as well and the BJP’s conspiracies will be completely exposed.”