Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora. File | Photo credit: ANI
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday (May 10, 2026) staged anti-BJP protests in Punjab over the ED action against Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora and accused the Center of misusing central agencies against his party leaders.
AAP leaders and volunteers burnt effigies of the BJP-led Center and raised slogans against it. They also carried placards reading “ED-BJP gathjod murdabad”.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday (May 9) arrested Punjab Industries Minister Arora following raids in connection with an alleged ₹100 crore GST-related money laundering case involving certain entities linked to him.
Mr Arora (62) was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) following early morning raids at his official residence in Sector 2, Chandigarh.
While the AAP termed the ED raid on Mr. Arora’s residence and his subsequent arrest as a politically motivated act, Hampton Sky Realty Limited, of which the Punjab minister was a director, said the company had faith in the legal process and was fully cooperating with all statutory authorities and would continue to do so.
Cabinet minister Mohinder Bhagat, who participated in the anti-BJP protest in Jalandhar, condemned the ED’s action against Mr Arora and also slammed the BJP-led union government for indulging in “more respectful” AAP leaders.
Mr. Bhagat alleged that the Center deployed all sorts of tactics to stall the development of Punjab.
“He is abusing the ED only against AAP leaders by raiding their premises. It clearly shows that the Union government will tolerate condescension. Punjabis never tolerate condescension from anyone,” Bhagwat said while talking to reporters.
He further said that the entire party was behind Mr. Arora. In Hoshiarpur, AAP leaders alleged that BJP was misusing central agencies, ED and CBI, against AAP leaders. They said the BJP has been “shaken” by the “public welfare” work being done by the Punjab government and hence the BJP is targeting the AAP in the state.
Similar protests were held in Ludhiana, Mohali, Barnala and other places. The AAP on Saturday (May 9) strongly condemned the central government, alleging that whenever the BJP feels it is losing political ground in the elections, it “conspires” to suppress the opposition voice by unleashing investigative agencies against them.
Published – 10 May 2026 13:48 IST
