Chandigarh, Sep 24 Punjab Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian on Thursday accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of pressuring his nephew’s family during a search of their Ludhiana residence, and claimed the officials asked his relatives to tell him to leave the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
He further claimed that the ED found no incriminating evidence during their operation at his nephew’s home.
The ED visited Saini’s residence in Sahnewal, Ludhiana, on Wednesday as part of a broader investigation into money laundering, which also included searches at the offices of the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA), the residence of IAS officer and Principal Secretary for Housing and Urban Development, Vikas Garg, and a Delhi-based real estate company.
Speaking to the media in Chandigarh, Mundian accused the BJP-led Centre of misusing central agencies ahead of the state assembly polls.
He alleged his nephew’s family was “harassed” by ED officials.
He claimed his nephew’s family was harassed by ED officials, who inquired about their financial situation, including how much money Mundian provided to them and their salaries. He added that the officials asked them to persuade him to leave the AAP.
He further claimed that his nephew’s mother was asked to tell her son to stop supporting Mundian because AAP is a “wrong party”.
“This raises questions about whether the purpose of the action is merely an investigation or also an attempt to exert political pressure,” Mundian said.
He highlighted the tragedy already faced by his family, mentioning that his nephew’s brother had passed away, prompting his nephew to relocate to Ludhiana with his children and start a new business to support them.
“The ED search subjected a widow and her young child to harassment and intimidation,” claimed Mundian.
He described a distressing scene where a small girl allegedly went hungry and cried for hours during the search, and even a one-month-old baby was not allowed to be fed.
“My nephew’s pregnant wife was made to stand for three to four hours without being allowed to sit. When the officials were leaving, the family asked for a written record of what had been recovered from the house. The officials subsequently provided a document stating that nothing had been found apart from old household articles. If nothing was recovered, why was a family harassed for three to four hours?” he questioned.
Attacking the BJP, the Punjab minister accused them of trying to win elections through intimidation after failing to generate public enthusiasm at their rallies. “Punjab is not a place where people can be intimidated through ED raids or threats. We are Punjabis, and we are not afraid,” he asserted.
Mundian emphasised that the AAP stands for “honesty,” stating that AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann are ‘kattar imaandar’ (staunchly honest) leaders.
“If we were to take even a single rupee of public money, it would be like consuming poison. We are serving Punjab with complete honesty,” he said.
He also responded to BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu, who had claimed that he had left the country. “I am holding this press conference in Chandigarh, not America,” Mundian remarked, addressing Bittu’s allegations made the previous day.
(PTI News)
