The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on 2 September launched a sharp attack on the Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab, alleging that transfers and postings of senior bureaucrats — including IAS and IPS officers — were being orchestrated by middlemen and brokers operating on a 'rate card' system, with the purported backing of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal.

BJP's Core Allegations

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in New Delhi, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia claimed the racket was running under the watch of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and was allegedly being coordinated through the Chief Minister's own office. Bhatia described Kejriwal as the 'kingpin' of the scandal, drawing a direct line between the Punjab transfer controversy and the earlier Delhi liquor policy case.

'Punjab, known the world over for its honesty and hard work, has been turned into a brokerage and commission hub because of the corrupt and dishonest Bhagwant Mann government. The transfer and postings of IAS and IPS officers is being done as per their rate card, and it is being done on the directions of OSD,' Bhatia claimed at the press conference.

Enforcement Directorate Filing in High Court

The BJP's offensive follows a recent submission by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in which the agency reportedly alleged that Rajbir Singh Gautam, an Officer of Special Duty (OSD) in Mann's office and said to be a close associate of the Chief Minister, was allegedly leading the transfer-posting racket. The ED also placed on record a series of letters, reminders, and supporting documents that it had sent to Punjab authorities regarding the alleged racket.

According to Bhatia, the ED wrote seven letters to the Punjab Police seeking registration of a First Information Report (FIR), but the state police allegedly refused to act despite the offence being cognizable in nature. 'The administration's reluctance in lodging an FIR only raises suspicion about the Chief Minister,' he said.

Key Claims About the Alleged Racket

Bhatia further alleged that brokers had established direct communication channels with the Chief Minister's office and were influencing postings of officers on the basis of fixed 'rate cards'. He also alleged that classified state government information had allegedly reached the mobile phones of these middlemen — a claim he did not substantiate with documentary evidence at the press conference.

The BJP spokesperson demanded answers on how an OSD could reportedly facilitate the transfer and posting of more than 20 senior bureaucrats without the Chief Minister's knowledge, suggesting either complicity or a serious breakdown of administrative oversight.

Political Context and Demands

Bhatia linked the alleged Punjab racket to the model he said existed under the AAP government in Delhi during the liquor policy controversy, arguing that voters in the capital had already delivered a verdict against such practices. He demanded that the Bhagwant Mann government come clean on the allegations or, failing that, tender its resignation.

'Today, people of Punjab are asking the Chief Minister — Are you not shielding the corrupt middlemen and undermining the Constitutional values that you are meant to uphold?' Bhatia said. The AAP government in Punjab had not issued an official response to the BJP's allegations at the time of this report. With Punjab assembly elections still years away, the BJP appears to be laying the groundwork for a sustained accountability campaign against the Mann administration.