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.
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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.
