The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday conducted multiple raids, including at the residence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora, as part of a money laundering investigation linked to a land fraud case. The searches were carried out at around 16-17 locations across Punjab and Haryana, with a focus on premises associated with Arora and others, according to official sources.
The 61-year-old MP’s house in Ludhiana (Punjab) and Gurugram (Haryana) were among the key sites being searched. Additionally, raids were conducted on properties connected to real estate businessman Hemant Sood and another individual, Chandra Shekhar Agrawal, in Jalandhar.
Responding to the ongoing operation, Sanjeev Arora posted on X (formerly Twitter) stating, “I am a law-abiding citizen, am not sure about the reason for the search operation, but I will cooperate fully with the agencies and make sure all their queries are answered.” Arora, a businessman and first-time MP, is among the prominent figures of the Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab.
Sisodia Alleges Political Targeting
Reacting to the development, AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using central agencies like the ED to weaken the Aam Aadmi Party. He posted on X, “Since this morning, ED is raiding the house of Aam Aadmi Party’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjeev Arora. In the last two years, they have raided Arvind Kejriwal’s house, my house, Sanjay Singh’s house, Satyendra Jain’s house… nothing was found anywhere. But Modiji’s agencies are working tirelessly to create one fake case after another.”
Sisodia further claimed that these actions were part of a larger strategy to break the AAP, but assured that the party’s members would not back down. “They will go to any extent to break the Aam Aadmi Party. But no matter how much they try, the AAP people will neither stop, nor sell themselves, nor get scared,” Sisodia asserted in his post.
Ongoing Investigation
The ED’s searches are connected to a money laundering case, although specific details regarding the alleged land fraud have not been disclosed by the agency. The case is reportedly linked to real estate dealings involving several high-profile individuals in Punjab and Haryana.
The Aam Aadmi Party, which governs Delhi and Punjab, has frequently accused the central government of using investigative agencies to target its leaders. Arvind Kejriwal, the party’s national convener and Delhi Chief Minister, has faced similar allegations of harassment, with several raids on AAP leaders’ homes in recent years.
The ED is expected to provide further updates as the raids progress.
