Launching a blistering attack on the BJP while reacting to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid at the Chandigarh residence of Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora on Saturday morning, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann alleged that the BJP was “playing a very dangerous game” in Punjab and warned that Punjabis would never bow before pressure.
Addressing media persons at the Sangrur circuit house on the last day of ‘Shukrana Yatra’, Mann said, “Bharat Jalao Party should be the name of BJP… eh agg lagan wali party hai (this is a party that spreads fire and unrest).” Referring to the raid on Sanjeev Arora, he said it was the second ED raid within a month and the third this year targeting AAP leaders and linked it to “politicisation of ED”.
“I am warning the BJP… we are Punjabis… don’t keep an evil eye on us… asi oh akh kadh laine aan par dabaa agge jhukde nahi (we gouge out such evil eyes but never bow before pressure),” Mann said.
He added, “The BJP is playing a very dangerous game in Punjab, and they will have to pay for it.”
Mann’s remarks came days after Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, who recently switched from the AAP to the BJP, had made a similar statement alleging political vendetta. Chadha had claimed that “the AAP is playing a very dangerous game in Punjab by doing political vendetta on the Rajya Sabha MPs who switched from the AAP to the BJP in the form of PPCB raids, withdrawal of security, and even FIRs on Sandeep Pathak… they are bound to do anything against me as well.” However, the Punjab Police has so far not shared details of any FIRs against Sandeep Pathak.
Escalating his attack further, Mann said, “The BJP can go to an extent that they can remove the word Punjab from our national anthem as well and can replace it with UP… I warn the BJP, don’t play this dirty game… Punjabis will reply back in a befitting manner.”
The chief minister alleged that the BJP was upset over the Punjab government bringing a stricter sacrilege law. “We have made a stricter sacrilege law which gives strict punishments to those involved in this heinous act. Hence, they (BJP) are bewildered… that they will not be able to get any such acts done from their agents in Punjab, which can further create communal tensions in the state and… polarise voters. Hence, they are now using other tools… ED as per their political needs. But I want to tell PM Narendra Modi that this is Punjab and it will not bow before you at any cost,” he said.
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Claiming that the BJP thrives on communal polarisation, Mann alleged, “Wherever they go… they create communal tensions… they did it in Maharashtra, Odisha, Bihar, Karnataka, Bengal and now Punjab is their next target… their motive is not to bring out any black money or such documents through ED raids but only to force that person to join the BJP.”
Referring to the ED raid on Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal before he joined the BJP, Mann said, “Now they must be issuing threats to Sanjeev Arora to join the BJP or face action in his business houses. Look at the case of Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal… they conducted a raid at his Jalandhar-based university and other premises… and afterwards he joined the BJP, and they provided him security… so everything went ok afterwards?”
In a sharp attack on the prime minister, Mann said, “Main BJP di dhamki ton nahi darda (I am not scared of the BJP’s threats)… want to tell the PM that he had to bow only once during his entire tenure which was to withdraw the three farm laws and Punjabis had forced him to do that… so perhaps he has kept that itch in his mind and is continuously doing acts to harm Punjab.”
Listing several contentious issues between the Centre and Punjab, Mann alleged, “Sometimes they start planning constitutional amendments in Chandigarh UT, sometimes in Panjab University and at times they want full control of BBMB (Bhakra Beas Management Board), sometimes they say no to Punjab’s tableau in Republic Day function, say no to purchase of paddy, block our RDF (Rural Development Fund) money which is around Rs 9,000 crore… after doing all this how can you come to Punjab to seek votes?”
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Referring to a recent ED raid on a Mohali-based businessman in which Punjab minister Aman Arora was allegedly named, Mann said, “They claimed to have pictures of the businessman with us… that way even Modiji has pictures with Nirav Modi and Vijay Mallya, who fled the country after grabbing crores of money.”
‘Hatred formula will not work in Punjab’
A visibly angry Mann further said, “Swearing-in ceremony in Bengal has not yet taken place and see… how people’s houses are burning, but this hatred formula will not work in Punjab… our land is very fertile… You can sow anything but not seeds of hatred in this land.”
Linking recent developments to his ongoing ‘Shukrana Yatra’, Mann alleged, “Ever since I started Shukrana Yatra… they started these ED raids and blast incidents happened a day before… they want people’s attention to be diverted to incidents other than this Shukrana Yatra in which thousands of people are coming to express their gratitude over the stricter sacrilege law.”
He asserted that he was not afraid of legal notices. “The BJP can send me as many legal notices as they want, and I will stand by my statement on BJP-style election preparation in Punjab,” he said.
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“Look, I said it again today… The BJP prepares for elections through ED raids, bomb blasts in any state… now send me another notice. The BJP believes in polarisation and doing murder of democracy, which we will not let happen in Punjab… unhan da Vijay Rath 2027 vich Punjab aa ke rukega te asi us rath de pahiye tor devange taa jo oh agge kitte vi na ja sake (their victory chariot will come to a halt in Punjab in 2027 and we will shatter its wheels into pieces so it can never move ahead anywhere again),” Mann added.
The chief minister also demanded that the Centre release pending funds to Punjab. “If you really want to do anything… give a special package to Punjab, give our blocked Rs 9,000 crore RDF money, our blocked VAT (Value-Added Tax) money, and take credit for the same,” he said.
On the recent warning issued by Akal Takht Jathedar regarding certain provisions in the amended sacrilege law allegedly hurting Sikh sentiments, Mann remained firm and declared, “Law will not be revoked… let meetings be convened.”
He further said, “This law is approved by the sangat… was made on their demand… only one family ( Badals ) doesn’t like it and they let others speak against it… as per the 2008 Jaagat Jyot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, government has been authorised to make a law and that has been done on the demand of public… what wrong have I done? This law will not be withdrawn… I want to say this clearly yet again.”
