With the sound of upcoming assembly elections in Punjab, the political atmosphere is continuously getting heated. The increasing action of ED and CBI, allegations of corruption against the AAP government, political defection and bomb blasts have put the politics of the state at a critical juncture. After increasing activism of central agencies in the last few months, opposition parties are alleging that non-BJP ruled states are being targeted.
month of april and may Punjab Has been important for. 7 Rajya Sabha MPs of AAP joined BJP. There was a controversy regarding Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann being drunk. Along with this, incidents of bomb blasts also made the atmosphere more tense. Amidst all this, the continuous raids of ED and CBI have indicated that election activities have intensified in Punjab. In political circles it is being called even the undeclared election season.
Late Monday night, CBI raided the Punjab Vigilance Bureau headquarters in Mohali. This case is related to demanding a bribe of Rs 20 lakh. It is alleged that some senior officers of Vigilance were involved in this network. CBI has arrested three people in this action. The scope of investigation has reached DG Vigilance reader OP Rana. Meanwhile, ED has also increased surveillance on Punjab Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora. Names of many people have emerged in the investigation.
He is considered to have close relations with AAP leaders. Political experts believe that after the West Bengal elections, Punjab seems to be the next big political battlefield. Here, a tough contest is expected between AAP, Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal and BJP. CBI’s action started after a complaint by a state tax officer. He alleged that a bribe of Rs 20 lakh is being demanded in the DG Vigilance office.
The names of Vikas alias Vicky Goyal and his son Raghav Goyal appeared in the complaint. It is alleged that both were working as middlemen. According to the complaint, bribe was being demanded for some officials including DG Vigilance reader OP Rana. Investigation revealed that the amount was later reduced from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 13 lakh. Along with this, a demand was also made for an expensive mobile phone, which was to be given to OP Rana.
On May 11, CBI had taken action by laying a trap in Chandigarh. During this, accused Ankit Wadhwa was caught taking Rs 13 lakh in cash and mobile phone. Cash and phones were seized from the spot. During this action Raghav Goyal, Vicky Goyal and OP Rana started trying to escape. It was told that an alert was received from the gunner present nearby. The Goyal brothers were caught after a chase till the Punjab-Haryana border near Ambala.
Both the gunners were also arrested along with them, but OP Rana is still absconding. After this, in the searches conducted in Malout and Chandigarh, Rs 9 lakh in cash and many objectionable documents were recovered. The agencies are also probing how sensitive vigilance information was reaching private individuals and why Punjab Police gunners armed with AK-47s were deployed. After these incidents, uneasiness has increased in the administrative and police circles of Punjab.
A retired police officer said, “When the action of central agencies is intensified, elections are usually considered close. But this time the officials are more worried because the investigation now seems to be reaching senior officials.” However, Punjab Vigilance Bureau has said that CBI has arrested a private person. The investigation of this matter is still going on. It was also said that if the role of any officer comes to light, full cooperation will be provided.
After the action of CBI and ED, the opposition has got an opportunity to attack the AAP government. Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia described the Vigilance Bureau as a den of corruption. He said that layers of corruption are now being revealed in Punjab. Majithia has also demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Opposition leader Pratap Singh Bajwa said that these raids have exposed the deep rot in the system during the AAP government.
Meanwhile, Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar claimed that the CBI action has created a stir in the ruling camp. After these incidents, opposition parties have once again raised questions on the use of ED and CBI. According to the data, ED registered 193 cases related to MPs, MLAs and political officials between 2015 and February 2025. But conviction could be achieved in only two of these cases. The opposition is calling it politics of pressure.
They allege that central agencies are used to put pressure on non-BJP governments and opposition leaders. However, BJP has been rejecting these allegations. The AAP government has also been accused of using agencies against its opponents. When 7 Rajya Sabha MPs of AAP joined BJP, the Punjab government had withdrawn ‘Z’ and ‘Z+’ security of many leaders including former cricketer Harbhajan Singh.
BJP had called it an act of revenge, while AAP had said that it was part of a general review of security arrangements. Apart from this, the AAP government has also been under the scanner regarding the cases registered against Bikram Majithia and Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira. There is still one and a half year left for the assembly elections, but the political environment of the state has already become very aggressive. At present, the picture of Punjab’s politics is yet to be seen.
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