Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday, 9 May launched a sharp attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government over repeated Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders, asserting that Punjab would never surrender before what he called the "politics of intimidation and vendetta" being carried out through central agencies. Mann made the remarks while speaking to the media in Sangrur.

The Trigger: ED Raids on AAP Leaders

Mann pointed out that the ED had raided the residence of Sanjeev Arora three times within a year — and twice within a single month — without recovering anything. He questioned why such raids were being conducted exclusively in states where the BJP was not in power, arguing that the pattern revealed a political motive rather than a genuine anti-corruption drive.

Citing the recent case of Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal, Mann said raids were conducted for two consecutive days at his residence, university, and business establishments. "But the moment he joined the BJP, the raids stopped, and he was instead provided security cover by the Centre. What does this expose if not the political misuse of agencies?" he questioned.

What the Government Said

Mann alleged that central agencies — including the ED, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Income Tax Department, and even constitutional institutions such as the Election Commission of India (ECI) — were no longer functioning independently. He claimed they were instead being "weaponised for political purposes" against non-BJP-ruled states, particularly Punjab.

"Instead of discharging their duties impartially, these institutions are now being used to settle political scores and destabilise democratically elected governments," Mann said.

He added that the BJP's real intention was not to recover black money but to pressure Opposition leaders into joining the party, citing instances where leaders facing agency action later crossed over to the BJP and received what he described as political patronage.

Punjab's Historical Defiance

Invoking the state's history, Mann declared that Punjab — "the land of Gurus and martyrs" — had not bowed even before Aurangzeb's tyranny, and would not bow before Prime Minister Narendra Modi either. He asserted that the collapse of what he termed the "BJP-ED nexus" would begin from Punjab itself.

"We have faced hostile circumstances since our inception. Punjab has never bowed before intimidation and never will," he said.

Broader Political Context

Mann's remarks come amid a broader national pattern of Opposition-ruled states — including Delhi, Jharkhand, and West Bengal — alleging selective use of central investigative agencies against their governments and leaders. The BJP has consistently denied such allegations, maintaining that agency action is driven by evidence and not political considerations. This is not the first time Mann has publicly confronted the Centre over agency raids; similar accusations have been levelled repeatedly since AAP came to power in Punjab in 2022.

With Punjab heading into a politically charged period, Mann's aggressive posture signals that AAP intends to frame the agency raids as a central electoral issue rather than a legal one.