A political row erupted between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on Wednesday over a purported Enforcement Directorate (ED) communication to Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav seeking action against a person allegedly close to AAP leaders.
SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia claimed that the ED letter was prepared in connection with an investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) involving a Chandigarh-based housing society and its associates.
The AAP rejected the allegations and accused the SAD of using a communication between the ED and the Punjab DGP to malign the ruling party.
Speaking to reporters in Amritsar, Majithia claimed that the ED had conducted searches at several locations between May 7 and May 10 as part of its investigation and seized around Rs 21 lakh in cash.
He alleged that the central agency subsequently wrote to the Punjab DGP seeking action against a person over allegations involving corruption in transfers and postings of government officials, approval of arms licences and land disputes.
Majithia further claimed that material recovered from electronic devices during the investigation, including WhatsApp chats, allegedly pointed to attempts to influence transfers and postings of government officials.
The SAD leader used the purported communication to target the AAP government, questioning its position on corruption and demanding action over the allegations.
Punjab Finance Minister and senior AAP leader Harpal Singh Cheema hit back at the SAD, accusing it of attempting to politically exploit a communication between the ED and the DGP.
“It is baffling how a communication addressed to the DGP by the ED is being weaponised by the Akali Dal to defame the Aam Aadmi Party,” Cheema told reporters.
He alleged that the SAD had abandoned its principles and was acting as a spokesperson for the BJP and central investigative agencies.
“This clearly exposes that SAD is functioning as an extended wing and spokesperson of the BJP, desperately trying to find a political lease on life,” Cheema said.
The Finance Minister also targeted the BJP-led Union government, accusing it of misusing central agencies such as the ED, CBI and Income Tax Department against political opponents and opposition-ruled states.
Cheema alleged that investigative agencies were routinely deployed to intimidate opposition leaders, put pressure on local administrations and destabilise elected governments. He cited developments in West Bengal and Bihar and alleged that the AAP leadership had also been targeted.
He further accused the BJP of using central agencies whenever elections approached or opposition governments resisted the Centre.
Cheema also invoked the SAD's past alliance with the BJP, accusing the Akali Dal of pursuing “opportunistic politics” and promoting narratives originating from central agencies for political gains.
The competing allegations have added another point of confrontation between the AAP and SAD in Punjab, with Majithia demanding accountability on the basis of the purported ED communication and the ruling party accusing the Akalis of using the issue to further the BJP's political narrative.