CHANDIGARH, MAY 21 — Aam Aadmi Party officials Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of utilizing central investigative bodies, including the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation, to politically blackmail and pressure individuals into joining their ranks.
AAP Punjab Media In-Charge Baltej Pannu stated during a press briefing that the central government has established a regular strategy of executing raids on entrepreneurs, academic executives, and political figures, only to halt legal proceedings once those individuals transition into the BJP. He noted that recent party inductions clearly demonstrate this operational pattern.
“This has become the BJP’s standard political model across the country,” Pannu said. He maintained that specific cases, such as the induction of individuals facing active agency notices, validate claims of tactical political expansion through intimidation.
Turning to recent regional disputes, Pannu demanded an immediate public apology from Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu regarding remarks that characterized Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann as an “ISI agent.” The media head asserted that such unverified accusations disrespect the democratic mandate of the state’s leadership and the patriotism of its citizens.
Pannu further countered Bittu’s public criticisms of a healthcare facility in Dhuri, pointing out that the Union Minister had initially recorded material praising the hospital’s operational capacity before changing his narrative to the press. He also questioned the extensive logistics and vehicle convoys utilized by central ministers, suggesting it contradicts central directives regarding expenditure reductions.
In defense of the current administration’s record, Pannu observed that the provincial government has spent the last four years expanding critical public services. He stated that extensive progress in canal water distribution, educational infrastructure, agricultural power supply, and medical cover up to ₹10 lakh directly invalidates the adversarial rhetoric coming from opposition leaders.
