Aam Aadmi Party National Convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, on Friday said that this was the second Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on an AAP leader’s premises within just three days, raising questions over the intent behind such actions. He also asked how much 'black money' had been recovered in the raids by the central agency.
Former Delhi Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, took to social media 'X' and said, "This is the second ED raid on an Aam Aadmi Party leader's premises within just three days. Will the Prime Minister explain how much 'black money' has been recovered from the countless raids conducted on AAP leaders so far? Was even a single rupee found?" He criticised the Centre, stating, “The entire nation is watching the petty politics you are engaging in solely for the sake of power.”
Meanwhile, Punjab Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora also confirmed that an ED raid had taken place at his premises. "Good Morning! An action by the Enforcement Directorate took place at my premises. As a responsible citizen, I will fully cooperate with the agencies and I am confident that the truth will prevail," he said.
Meanwhile, the ED conducted raids at 13 places on the premises of Sanjeev Arora under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) in Gurugram, Chandigarh, Ludhiana and Jalandhar. The raids also covered residences and offices of Sanjeev Arora, Hemanth Sood and Chandrasekhar Aggarwal.
According to officials and sources, ED teams reached the minister’s residence early in the day, while Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel were deployed outside the premises to secure the area. Searches were also carried out at other locations linked to the minister.
The action is reportedly connected to an old money laundering case and alleged irregularities in land deals. AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj reacted to the development, alleging that the BJP follows this pattern to start its preparation for a state election. In a post on X, he said, “ED has now raided Punjab Minister Sanjeev Arora.
This is a clear pattern. This is how BJP starts its preparation for a state election.” Earlier on April 15, the ED conducted searches on the premises of AAP Rajya Sabha MP, Ashok Kumar Mittal and the educational institutions promoted by him and his family in Haryana and Punjab, under the FEMA.
The raids come amid heightened political tensions between the ruling AAP in Punjab and the Central government, with Opposition leaders alleging selective targeting by central investigative agencies.