Punjab Cabinet Minister Lalchand Singh Kataruchak on Thursday, 24 September launched a sharp broadside against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing the Central government of weaponising institutions like the Election Commission, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to intimidate Opposition leaders and target states not governed by the BJP. Kataruchak made the remarks in Chandigarh, escalating the ongoing war of words between Punjab's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government and New Delhi.

BJP's 2014 Promises Vs. Reality, Says AAP Minister

Kataruchak alleged that the BJP swept to power in 2014 on the back of sweeping commitments — including depositing ₹25 lakh in every citizen's account and generating two crore jobs every year — none of which, he claimed, were delivered. Instead, he argued, the Modi government had increasingly resorted to what he described as 'unconstitutional methods' and the institutional machinery of the state to suppress political rivals.

'Wherever the BJP feels politically threatened, instead of facing its opponents politically, it sends agencies such as the ED and the Election Commission to create fear and pressure Opposition leaders and workers,' Kataruchak said.

Delhi Elections and Election Commission Controversy

Turning to recent events, the minister alleged that ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, officials and political leaders were systematically intimidated and a climate of fear was deliberately engineered. He claimed that false cases were registered against AAP leaders, who were kept in custody for months and even years, only for courts to subsequently reject or quash the charges.

Kataruchak also pointed to what he called a deepening credibility crisis at the Election Commission, noting that two Election Commissioners had repeatedly written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar raising formal objections to the processes being followed — developments he said had sparked serious public concern about the independence of the institution. He argued that these developments, taken alongside the ED's conduct, had revived concerns that senior judges had raised in earlier years about the health of India's democratic institutions.

ED Actions in Punjab: AAP Alleges Targeted Searches

On the ground in Punjab, Kataruchak alleged that the ED was continuously targeting AAP leaders and workers. He cited a recent search at the residence of a relative of an AAP minister in Ludhiana, saying officials carried out the search in the absence of the family member — with only the person's elderly parents present — and reportedly left without recovering any material.

He also recalled an ED search conducted approximately two months ago at the home of someone close to him personally. According to Kataruchak, after a 16-hour search, the agency departed without finding anything and confirmed this in writing. He contended that such operations amounted to political harassment rather than genuine law enforcement.

Punjab Will Not Be Intimidated, Says Kataruchak

Wrapping up his remarks, Kataruchak struck a defiant note. 'We are sons of Punjab and we will stand against such actions and face them firmly,' he said, asserting that the people of Punjab would deliver a strong democratic response to what he characterised as the BJP's politics of intimidation. Notably, the BJP has not yet formally responded to the specific allegations made by Kataruchak on Thursday.

The exchange reflects a broader and intensifying pattern of confrontation between AAP-governed states and the Centre, with similar allegations having been raised previously by counterparts in Delhi. How the BJP and central agencies respond in the coming days will be closely watched, particularly with Punjab's political landscape remaining highly charged.