New Delhi, October 2026: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing central investigative agencies in Punjab, following the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raid at the camp office of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Kejriwal alleged that the raid, conducted just months before the Punjab Assembly elections, was part of an attempt by the BJP to gain a political foothold in the state. He claimed that the BJP had repeatedly acted against the interests of Punjab and was now targeting the state’s elected Chief Minister.
Kejriwal said the BJP had allegedly “wronged” Punjabis on several issues, including the farmers’ agitation, the state’s water dispute and the Punjab University issue. He said the latest CBI action against the Chief Minister was another example of what he described as pressure on Punjab.
“Two months before the elections, a CBI raid at the Punjab Chief Minister’s camp office is a result of the BJP’s frustration,” Kejriwal said in a post on X.
He alleged that the BJP could not win an election in Punjab on its own strength and was therefore seeking to use the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and CBI during the electoral process.
Kejriwal claimed that the people of Punjab had made up their minds to respond to the action by giving Bhagwant Mann more than 100 Assembly seats and returning him as Chief Minister.
AAP Punjab in-charge Manish Sisodia also criticised the CBI action. In a post on X, Sisodia alleged that while there was nationwide controversy surrounding what he termed “Operation Gyanesh Kumar”, the CBI had been sent to Punjab as the BJP’s “advance party” ahead of the elections.
“This raid is not a sign of strength, but evidence of frustration,” Sisodia said.
AAP senior leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh also targeted the BJP over the raid. He alleged that the BJP had relied on central investigative agencies such as the ED and CBI during elections.
Singh said the people of Punjab were watching what he described as attempts to discredit the Bhagwant Mann government, which, according to him, had undertaken significant work in areas including electricity, water, education and healthcare.
AAP’s Delhi unit also reacted sharply to the development. Delhi AAP president Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre was attempting to repeat in Punjab what he described as its strategy during the Delhi elections.
Bharadwaj alleged that the BJP could use cases and high-profile arrests to strengthen its political presence in Punjab. He also claimed that voters in the state would not allow what he called a repetition of the Delhi experience.
AAP national media in-charge Anurag Dhanda also criticised the CBI raid, alleging that it reflected the Centre’s political frustration with the party’s government in Punjab.
“Modi ji, do not live under any illusion. You cannot frighten Punjab like this. Punjabis do not bow down,” Dhanda said in a post on X.
The BJP has not responded to all the allegations contained in the AAP leaders’ statements. The CBI action comes ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections, with political parties already intensifying their preparations for the electoral contest.
