Security Cut for Raghav Chadha Sparks Political Storm in Punjab

Chandigarh, 15 April (H.S.):

Politics in Punjab has intensified following enforcement action against Aam

Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal, as the Enforcement Directorate

(ED) conducted raids at multiple locations linked to him. Mittal, who is also

the founder of Lovely Professional University, recently rose in prominence

after being appointed as the deputy leader of AAP in the Rajya Sabha.

According to

officials, ED teams carried out searches at nine premises associated with

Mittal early Wednesday morning.

The operation reportedly began around 7:30 AM,

with teams arriving from Delhi to conduct coordinated raids at his residence in

Jalandhar, the university campus, and other locations including Gurugram. While

the exact nature of the investigation has not been officially disclosed, the

scale and timing of the action have triggered sharp political reactions across

the state.

Punjab Chief

Minister Bhagwant Mann strongly criticized the raids, accusing the BJP led

central government of misusing central agencies for political purposes. In a

post on social media platform X, Mann said that the move was part of BJP’s

strategy ahead of upcoming elections in Punjab. He used strong language to

assert that his party would not be intimidated by such actions.

The criticism

from AAP leaders was met with a sharp response from Union Minister Ravneet

Singh Bittu, who defended the ED’s action. He accused AAP of corruption and

stated that the investigation would help “clean up” wrongdoing. The exchange of

allegations has further deepened the political divide between AAP and BJP in

the state.

Raghav Chadha's

Security Withdrawn by Punjab Government

Adding another

layer to the controversy, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj claimed on social media

that the raids were politically motivated and indirectly linked to intra-party

dynamics. He alleged that party leader Raghav Chadha might be connected to the

developments, although no evidence has been presented and Chadha himself has

not issued any statement on the matter so far.

Meanwhile, in a

separate but related development, the Punjab government has decided to

significantly scale down the security cover provided to Raghav Chadha.

Previously, Chadha enjoyed enhanced protection, including a contingent of

Punjab Police personnel and commandos, due to his dual responsibilities as a

Rajya Sabha MP and a senior party functionary in Punjab.

However, after

AAP removed Chadha from the position of deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha on

April 2 and replaced him with Ashok Mittal, the justification for such

extensive security was reviewed.

The government has now withdrawn the

additional cover, leaving him with standard security arrangements.

The decision

has sparked further political debate, with Saurabh Bharadwaj alleging that the

central government has granted Chadha Z-plus security, raising questions about

the motivations behind such a move. He questioned why the Centre would extend

top-tier protection to Chadha while the Punjab government was scaling it back.

As ED raids

continue and political leaders exchange accusations, the situation has

heightened tensions in Punjab’s political landscape. With elections on the

horizon, both state and central actors appear to be positioning themselves

aggressively, making the developments around Ashok Mittal and Raghav Chadha a

focal point of the ongoing political discourse.

Hindusthan Samachar / GURSHARAN SINGH