Chandigarh, Aug 2 (NationPress) Just hours after realtor and former Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary Ranjit Singh Gill made the decision to join the BJP, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau executed raids at both his residence in Chandigarh and his corporate office located in Kharar, Mohali district.

The Vigilance Bureau stated that these raids are part of a larger investigation concerning a case of disproportionate assets linked to Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, who is currently in judicial custody.

Gill, who previously ran unsuccessfully in the Assembly elections from Kharar, officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday evening. The ceremony took place at the residence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

In response to the raids, BJP national General Secretary Tarun Chugh criticized the AAP government, accusing them of employing the Vigilance police to settle political scores. Chugh asserted that the Bhagwant Mann administration is panicking as the strength of the BJP in Punjab grows.

“The Mann government has transformed the state into a personal playground where law enforcement is misused as a private militia,” Chugh remarked in a statement. He added that the Mann government under Arvind Kejriwal is instigating fear among political opponents, a strategy that will eventually backfire.

Chugh warned the AAP regime that Punjab will not remain silent, stating, “I want to inform Bhagwant Mann and his Delhi superiors that Punjab does not submit to bullies. If you believe that you can silence dissenting voices through raids and bureaucracy, you are gravely mistaken.” Meanwhile, AAP raised alarms about the timing of Gill's late-night induction, linking him to an ongoing vigilance case.

AAP spokesperson Neel Garg raised questions about the timing, secrecy, and political implications of the event, suggesting it was an apparent attempt to protect individuals under investigation. He questioned why the induction occurred at night and why it was led by a Haryana leader rather than anyone from Punjab BJP.

“What was so urgent that someone facing serious inquiries in a vigilance probe was inducted into the BJP without any public event?” Garg questioned. He noted that Gill is allegedly connected to the same vigilance case involving senior Akali leader Bikram Majithia, who has already been arrested for disproportionate assets.

“Just days before, senior BJP leader Captain Amarinder Singh publicly supported Majithia. Now, another individual associated with that case has been welcomed into the BJP fold with the assistance of Haryana’s Chief Minister. Is this how the BJP signals its support for individuals involved in the drug trade?” Garg asked.

On the other hand, the Vigilance Bureau reported that it has identified suspicious financial transactions amounting to crores between Gillco Developers and entities associated with Majithia. Investigations are still ongoing.

An official spokesperson from the Vigilance stated that searches were carried out in Punjab and Chandigarh. Following the registration of an FIR against Majithia, certain financial links and transactions involving Gillco Developers came to light. The Bureau conducted these searches according to established legal procedures to further investigate these transactions and gather pertinent evidence.

According to Ashwani Sharma, the working President of Punjab BJP, the AAP had pressured Gill for two weeks to join their party. When he refused and instead chose the BJP due to national development reasons, the AAP-led government orchestrated a Vigilance raid against him as a form of political revenge.

Sharma claimed that the raid occurring within 12 hours of Gill joining the BJP indicated that AAP now recognizes the BJP as its key political competitor in Punjab for the upcoming 2027 elections.

Welcoming Gill, the owner of Gillco Group, which has developed various residential, commercial, entertainment, and educational projects in Mohali district, CM Saini remarked on Friday night, “All individuals impressed by the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and the successes of BJP-ruled states are joining our development-focused journey.”

Gill, who previously had close ties with Sukhbir Badal, resigned from the SAD on July 18, citing dissatisfaction with the party's deviation from its foundational values and disconnect with grassroots workers. Gill had contested the Assembly elections in both 2017 and 2022 from Kharar.