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Chandigarh, Jan 18: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi mentioned that there was an try to put stress and goal him and his ministers because the polling day drew close to, hours after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday raided a number of areas within the state, together with these linked to a relative of him.
Premises linked to Bhupinder Singh alias Honey, a relative of Channi, have been lined beneath the ED raids as a part of a money-laundering probe in opposition to the “sand mafia” and corporations linked to alleged unlawful sand mining. Honey’s alleged hyperlinks with an individual recognized as Kudratdeep Singh are being investigated by the company.
“When there have been polls in West Bengal, such assaults came about on Mamata Banerjee’s kin. Now, in the identical sample in Punjab, ED is making an attempt to place stress, give bother. An try is being made to create all types of stress,” Channi alleged whereas interacting with reporters.
“Not simply on the ministers, chief minister, however stress is being created on each Congress employee. Such an environment just isn’t good for democracy. When elections are close to, they thought of conducting ED raids. However we’re able to bear all stress, all troubles which they provide. We’ll stick with it with our electioneering and they won’t succeed…,” Channi mentioned, hitting out on the BJP-led authorities on the Centre.
When requested what number of locations have been raided, Channi earlier within the day replied, “What I’ve heard up to now is thru TV (channels) and media, I haven’t got concrete info. However in the end, it’s an try to focus on me and my ministers.” The ED motion, sources mentioned, has been initiated after taking cognisance of a 2018 FIR of the Nawanshahr (Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar district) police and another such police complaints in opposition to some corporations and people alleged to be concerned in unlawful sand mining within the state.
When requested to touch upon this, Channi mentioned, “In 2018, I used to be not chief minister. As you might be saying it’s primarily based on 2018 FIR, what’s my reference to that, at the moment I used to be not even chief minister. However in some way they’ve to focus on me and my ministers and try to put stress, however let me say this that Punjabis by no means come beneath stress.”
Requested if he sees political vendetta behind the raids, Channi informed reporters, “You realize what all programmes occurred throughout the previous few days, and also you and folks know that very nicely…now this try to put stress on me and the Punjab Congress won’t succeed.” Opposition events have earlier linked Channi with the dealings of Bhupinder Singh alias Honey, which the previous had denied.
Voting for 117 meeting seats in Punjab is slated on February 20. In Amritsar, when Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu was requested by reporters that premises linked to a relative of Channi are additionally being lined beneath the ED raids, he mentioned, “A raid on anybody doesn’t imply he’s responsible until allegations are proved.” Hitting out on the BJP-led authorities on the Centre, he mentioned such raids are arm-twisting.
Nonetheless, on the identical time, Sidhu mentioned those that have been raided must clarify. In regards to the raids, officers mentioned no less than a dozen areas within the state, together with Chandigarh, Mohali, Ludhiana and Pathankot, are being lined by the officers of the federal company. They’re being assisted by armed personnel of the Central Reserve Police Pressure (CRPF). The motion is being undertaken beneath provisions of the Prevention of Cash Laundering Act (PMLA).
The Congress on Tuesday accused the BJP and its authorities on the Centre of defaming Punjab and Punjabiyat by raiding a relative of Channi in an previous case, and mentioned the folks of the state will give a befitting reply to the saffron occasion within the polls. Chief spokesperson of the Congress Randeep Surjewala informed reporters in Delhi that the BJP authorities is insulting a Dalit who was made the chief minister of Punjab and the Dalits and backward courses wouldn’t forgive the occasion for this. The Congress has cited a March 7, 2018 FIR lodged in a mining case on the Rahon police station in Punjab to say that none of Channi’s kin was named in it.
Surjewala mentioned one Kudratdeep Singh was named as an accused, however the ED is raiding Bhupinder Singh Honey for being associates with Kudratdeep. Honey is the nephew of Channi’s sister-in-law however his identify just isn’t there within the FIR, the Congress chief mentioned. Earlier within the day, Delhi Chief Minister and AAP nationwide convenor Arvind Kejriwal attacked his Punjab counterpart over unlawful sand mining following the ED raids. “We have now been repeatedly saying that in his (Channi) cupboard, there are people who find themselves concerned in unlawful sand mining and Channi sahab himself is giving patronage to them,” alleged Kejriwal whose Aam Aadmi Social gathering (AAP) is among the many most important contenders within the Punjab polls. “Why Channi sahab didn’t throw them out from the cupboard? Why did he maintain them within the cupboard,” the AAP chief requested. PTI
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