BJP targets Kejriwal after AAP chief compares PM Modi with Aurangzeb

New Delhi: The BJP on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Arvind Kejriwal after the AAP chief compared Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb over the Enforcement Directorate (ED) action against Punjab minister Sanjiv Arora, with Union minister Ravneet Singh Bittu calling Kejriwal “Ahmed Shah Abdali”.A political war of words broke out after the ED conducted fresh searches against Punjab Industries Minister Sanjeev Arora and others associated with him in the money laundering probe. Arora was later arrested by the agency.Reacting to Kejriwal’s remarks, Bittu alleged that the AAP leadership remembers the Mughal rulers because “their own work is like theirs”.Accusing the AAP government of “looting and looting” in Punjab, Bittu told reporters, “Punjab has seen Ahmed Shah Abdali again and Ahmed Shah Abdali is Kejriwal.”

Kejriwal compared PM Modi with Aurangzeb

Earlier in the day, Kejriwal alleged that the BJP was using central agencies to pressure opposition leaders to join the saffron party.Addressing a press conference in Delhi, the former Chief Minister compared PM Modi with Aurangzeb and accused him of targeting Punjab through ED raids.Kejriwal said, “Punjab is the land of gurus. Several hundred years ago, Aurangzeb had captured many parts of the country through crime and oppression. Modiji has also captured many parts of the country through deceit.”He further alleged that Punjabis were being “mistreated” and claimed that the raids against Arora were politically motivated as the minister had refused to join the BJP.The AAP national convenor also claimed that agencies like ED and CBI are no longer working independently.“Under Modi’s rule, they are working to scare, intimidate and break the opposition leaders and force them to join the BJP. The raid against Arora is an action in that direction,” Kejriwal said.“Either join BJP or get arrested,” Kejriwal alleged, referring to the ED action.

BJP says AAP has been stunned by corruption cases

BJP leaders rejected Kejriwal’s allegations and said the ED action was related to corruption allegations and not political vendetta.Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva claimed that Kejriwal seemed nervous as he knew the investigation could eventually reach him too.According to the report of news agency PTI, Sachdeva alleged, “Arvind Kejriwal himself seems to be the mastermind behind this entire extortion conspiracy.”BJP spokesperson RP Singh said it is Kejriwal, not PM Modi, who is behaving “like Aurangzeb” in Punjab.Accusing the Punjab government of being steeped in corruption, Singh said, “This action should not be seen against AAP but against corrupt people.”Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar also defended the ED raids, saying the action was related to corruption and corrupt practices.

Political tension has increased in Punjab

The ED raid comes amid increasing political unrest in Punjab and the recent joining of several AAP Rajya Sabha MPs into the BJP.Kejriwal alleged that former AAP MP Ashok Mittal joined the BJP after facing ED raids and claimed that similar pressure was being put on Arora.Meanwhile, according to PTI, former AAP colleague and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha accused the AAP government of betraying Punjab and pushing the state towards financial ruin.He alleged that the documents revealed after the ED action point to “round-tripping” of funds through entities in the UAE, Canada and Australia.