From the arrest of former Punjab minister and senior Congress chief Bharat Bhushan Ashu by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau in 2022 to the arrest of Aam Aadmi Celebration (AAP) cadre and Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday, the allegations of ‘political vendetta’ in Ludhiana West have come full circle.
Virtually 4 years in the past, months after AAP got here to energy in Punjab with an amazing majority, the state vigilance bureau arrested Ashu on expenses of a Rs 2,000-crore foodgrain transport rip-off. The Congress later accused the ruling AAP of finishing up a “political witch hunt” and misusing the Vigilance Bureau.
Ashu, a two-time MLA from Ludhiana West, misplaced to AAP’s Gurpreet Gogi within the 2022 meeting elections. After the arrests, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann defended the motion, saying the federal government “is not going to spare those that loot Punjab.”
“We aren’t searching for political vendettas. Those that plundered Punjab is not going to be spared. We proceeded solely after we had concrete proof,” Mann mentioned on the time, describing Ashu as an “boastful minister” throughout his tenure. “Pastors will not be gods who will not be held accountable.”
Ashu remained in jail for almost seven months till securing bail from the Punjab and Haryana Excessive Court docket in March 2023. In August 2024, he was once more arrested by the ED in a cash laundering case associated to the identical expenses and was launched on bail in December of the identical yr.
In a significant setback for the Punjab authorities, the Punjab and Haryana Excessive Court docket in December 2024 quashed the FIR registered towards Ashu by the Vigilance Bureau, terming the case as “pure revenge”. The courtroom discovered that the felony proceedings constituted an “abuse of energy” for the only function of “harassing” him.
The political narrative has now reversed.
Within the Ludhiana West referendum in June final yr, which was necessitated after the loss of life of AAP MLA Gurpreet Gogi from gunshot accidents in January 2025, the Congress once more fielded Ashu. In the meantime, AAP has fielded businessman and Rajya Sabha member Sanjeev Arora.
Mr. Arora defeated Mr. Ashu by a margin of greater than 10,000 votes and was later appointed to the Cupboard with vital portfolios equivalent to energy, native our bodies, and trade and commerce.
Presently, Arora himself is embroiled in authorized troubles forward of the 2027 Punjab Meeting elections.
The ED arrested Mr. Arora from his official residence in Chandigarh in reference to a cash laundering case associated to his firm Hampton Sky Realty Restricted (previously often known as Ritesh Properties and Industries Restricted).
In an announcement, the ED alleged that Mr. Arora’s firm was concerned in “large-scale cash laundering” by way of fraudulent GST purchases of cell phones value Rs 100 crore and subsequent exports for “unlawful spherical journey of funds from Dubai to India”.
The company claimed the transactions amounted to “particular person enrichment” whereas on the identical time inflicting losses to the Treasury.
Arora had resigned as the corporate’s managing director after changing into a minister. Presently, his spouse Sandhya Arora and son Kavya Arora maintain the highest positions within the firm.
In an announcement launched after his arrest, the corporate denied any wrongdoing and insisted that each one cellphone exports have been real and verified by authorities authorities at each step.
“All export proceeds have been obtained by way of applicable banking channels. Nothing was withheld, saved abroad or transferred backwards and forwards,” the corporate mentioned.
The corporate entered the cell phone export enterprise in Could 2023 and exported 44,471 branded cell phones, of which greater than 96% have been iPhones, it added.
The corporate has enterprise pursuits in numerous sectors together with actual property, luxurious residential areas, enterprise parks, clothes, hospitality and retail.
contemporary set off
Arora’s arrest has sparked contemporary political violence in Punjab, with AAP accusing the BJP-led Heart of utilizing central companies to focus on opposition leaders.
Each AAP nationwide convenor Arvind Kejriwal and Mann alleged that the BJP was attempting to weaken the social gathering forward of the 2027 elections. “The Bharatiya Janata Celebration is utilizing establishments just like the ED as a weapon to intimidate opposition leaders into becoming a member of the Bharatiya Janata Celebration. The top of this Bharatiya Janata Celebration alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Celebration will start with Punjab,” Mann mentioned.
In a submit on X, Kejriwal likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mughal ruler Aurangzeb. “Lots of of years in the past, Aurangzeb dedicated atrocities in Punjab, however the gurus stood as much as him and refused to bow down. Modiji additionally dedicated atrocities in Punjab. The folks of Punjab will stand as much as him and save the nation from tyranny,” Kejriwal wrote.
The BJP denied the allegations.
Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu mentioned, “Motion shall be taken every time corruption or irregularities are detected.” He additionally accused Mann of utilizing investigative companies and stress techniques towards social gathering leaders to keep up management.
Punjab Bharatiya Janata Celebration chief Sunil Jakhar mentioned Mann had claimed to eradicate the “most cancers of corruption” however was now “defending a corrupt minister”.
The Congress, however, tried to focus on each the BJP and the AAP.
Congress common secretary and in-charge of Punjab affairs Bhupesh Baghel alleged that whereas the BJP makes use of central companies just like the ED, the AAP is deploying vigilance bureaus towards political opponents.
Punjab Congress president and Ludhiana MP Amrinder Singh Raja Warring mentioned Congress leaders “is not going to be intimidated by both the BJP’s ED or the AAP’s Vigilance Bureau.”
Opposition chief Partap Singh Bajwa took a extra nuanced line, saying motion ought to be taken if there’s ample proof towards Arora.
“When AAP leaders face investigations, as an alternative of addressing the allegations, they name it political vendetta,” Bajwa mentioned.
Ashu, who spent greater than a yr in jail and later resigned as Punjab Congress Working Chairman following the defeat within the by-elections, mentioned AAP couldn’t conceal its claims of retaliation each time allegations towards its management surfaced. “We’re completely towards revenge, be it AAP or the BJP. However we can’t conceal wrongdoings below that guise,” Ashu informed The Indian Specific.
“In my case, an FIR registered with the Vigilance Bureau below the AAP authorities was quashed by the Excessive Court docket throughout its tenure. They even claimed that I owned a lodge in Dubai. Had such a property ever been discovered? That was pure revenge,” he mentioned.
“Now, comparable allegations have surfaced towards Arora and AAP is looking it revenge.”
