*BJP’s election game in Punjab through ED continues, raids at homes of two AAP leaders in three days: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann*

*BJP must tell what was found in previous raids; Just as nothing was found earlier, nothing will be found now either: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann*

*Punjab is watching how far BJP has stooped for power politics: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann*

*BJP should stop dreaming of winning Punjab elections through employing ED, CBI & Election Commission; Punjabis may lose their heads, but they will never bow in fear: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann*

*BJP is unable to find 117 candidates in Punjab, so it wants to break AAP leaders by using fear through ED: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann*

*Only to win elections, Modi Govt troubles opposition-led states by stopping funds & misusing Governors: CM Bhagwant Singh Mann*

CHANDIGARH; 17th April 2026:With Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at the homes of two AAP leaders in three days, Punjab CM Bhagwant Singh Mann called out the BJP for using central agencies to begin its Punjab election campaign, saying a party unable to find 117 candidates is trying to spread fear instead of winning public support.

The Chief Minister emphasised that opposition governments are being harassed through blocked funds, Governors, ED, CBI and the Election Commission, while leaders joining the BJP emerged clean from its ‘washing machine’. He said AAP would not be intimidated, asserting that Punjabis may lose their heads but would never bow in fear, and told the BJP to prepare for 2027 by working among the people instead of relying on raids and pressure tactics.

Addressing a press conference, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann stated, "Our country is called the biggest democracy in the world, the world’s largest democracy. Here, people elect the government of their choice. It is the duty of the central government to give every state what is rightfully theirs, above politics and above party lines. But for some time now, we have been seeing that democracy is slowly being strangled. All non BJP governments are being troubled, either directly by stopping funds from the Centre or through Governors in one way or another."

Targeting the BJP, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said, "The AAP has been specially targeted because it is a party that is growing very rapidly. It has become a national party in barely ten years. BJP thinks they can handle Congress, and they have also been hand in glove with Congress at times, but they do not want a third force to emerge.”

He pointed out, “In this process, they filed fake ED cases against our leaders in Delhi like in the so-called liquor scam case. Our senior leaders were sent to jail. Arvind Kejriwal, a sitting Chief Minister was jailed, along with Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. Our Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh was jailed. Whoever worked behind the scenes, any ‘karyakartas' or policymakers, all were jailed, threatened, intimidated, and told to join BJP or face trouble. This politics of fear and intimidation is continuing."

Flagging a clear pattern across the country, he shared, "Across the country, in Bengal, from the DGP onwards, officers have been changed because elections are coming. They do not win elections through people. They win elections through ED, CBI, the Election Commission, and other departments used for intimidation. A few days ago, ED raided the premises of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal, who runs Lovely Professional University, where around 4,000 students study. Students from more than 35 countries come there to study. But because he is an Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP, suddenly he became tainted."

Speaking on the current raid, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann revealed, "Today, an ED raid is underway at the house of Minister Sanjeev Arora. He had badly defeated BJP in Ludhiana by-election. So today he too has become tainted according to the BJP. It means BJP has started preparations for the 2027 Assembly elections. Send ED, send Income Tax, send notices, create fear. Because they cannot even find 117 people to contest elections. BJP cannot find 117 candidates, so they are saying either contest under fear or come out clean from our ‘washing machine.’"

"This is a very dangerous trend. Democracy is being murdered. We strongly condemn this. Only non BJP governments are being harassed. Only opposition leaders face the stick of ED, and nothing comes out of it. The case against Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia was also discharged. That means it was such a false case that even a trial could not start. But they say first put them inside jail, let elections happen, then we will see later,” he added.

Continuing his attack, the Chief Minister further said, "If someone bows before them and accepts their terms, then he comes out of the ‘washing machine: completely spotless. All his stains disappear. Is this a democracy? No, this is dictatorship."

Speaking on BJP's Bihar leadership, he stated, "They have now made Samrat Choudhary the Chief Minister of Bihar. Cases of seven murders are registered against him. He has been in jail. He gave the wrong age and changed his date of birth three times. And these are the people who keep talking about ‘jungle raj’. So what rule has now come to Bihar? Now this BJP-led jungle is good, like that advertisement says stains are good. So the stains given by BJP are considered good."

CM Bhagwant Singh Mann pointed to BJP's misusing of central agencies, weakening democratic institutions and targeting opposition leaders out of political insecurity. He said the Aam Aadmi Party would not be intimidated by raids or threats and asserted that no amount of pressure could shake the resolve of AAP. “Let them trouble us as much as they want. Let them send ED, CBI or whichever agencies they have. But we are not going to be afraid. We are not afraid.”

Targeting BJP’s organisational weakness in Punjab, the Punjab CM said the party had failed to build any genuine base in the state and was instead trying to expand through coercion and defections. “In Punjab, they get one or two Assembly seats. To increase that number, they are now taking support of ED. BJP has no cadre in Punjab, no leaders. So wherever they find someone, they take them from Congress or Akali Dal. BJP has created a Congress wing in Punjab. Because cases may exist against them, they suppress those cases by scaring them and showing them files. Is this democracy?”

Speaking on governance priorities, he asserted PM Modi should have focused on unemployment, schools, hospitals and rising household costs instead of vendetta politics. He said, “He should have focused on how crores of young people can get jobs, how good schools can be built, how hospitals can provide better treatment, and how people can be relieved from the burden of LPG and petroleum prices. Instead, their focus is on reducing someone’s security, increasing someone else’s security, sending ED here, sending CBI there. Is this how governments are run? The government is being run from elsewhere. Orders come from Washington and the White House. They wanted to become Vishwaguru, but we have become Vishwachela.”

Continuing his criticism, the Chief Minister said AAP leaders had repeatedly been jailed despite no proven wrongdoing and institutions were being used for electoral advantage. “Around 90% of our party leaders were shown jail, even though they had done nothing. This weapon of ED, this weapon of CBI, this weapon of the Election Commission, look at what is happening in Bengal. There is chaos and one political party is being threatened. That means whose way will prevail? BJP’s way.”

On BJP’s wider ambitions, he revealed the party wanted power at any cost and was willing to reshape institutions and rules to capture states where it lacked public support. “They want to capture Bengal, Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Even if for that they have to do delimitation or offer temptations, whatever temptation is needed, they just want to win.”

Warning that democracy itself was under strain, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann emphasised citizens across party lines would have to defend constitutional values and remember the sacrifices that built the nation. “Martyrs gave their blood and handed this country to us. Shaheed e Azam Bhagat Singh, Rajguru, Sukhdev, Chandrashekhar Azad, Kartar Singh Sarabha, Madan Lal Dhingra, Lala Lajpat Rai, so many sacrifices were made. So many sacrifices were made in youth, at the age of 23, 22, 19,” he said.

“Would their souls find peace today after seeing this? They gave us this country after sacrificing everything, only so that today it is run by just two people. Earlier we had heard ‘hum do hamare do’. That was for family welfare, but now it has become the model of governance. Today also it is ‘hum do hamare do’. There are Amit Shah and PM Narendra Modi, and ahead of them their two, Ambani and Adani. This government is being run on that formula while 140 crore people have been left to fate,” he asserted.

The Punjab CM added that the Centre was misusing constitutional offices to obstruct elected state governments and damage the federal structure of the country. “Governors have been reduced to instruments of politics. They sit on Bills for years. States are being forced to approach the Supreme Court for their rights. Even after the Supreme Court made it clear that Governors and the President cannot indefinitely hold Bills, matters were pushed into cold storage. Judges are transferred, their files are taken out. The question is whether they intend to spare anyone. We had heard that in North Korea and Russia people simply declare themselves rulers for years. The same thing is happening here in another form.”

Raising concerns over elections, CM Bhagwant Singh Mann emphasised that genuine votes of opposition supporters were being targeted and manipulated. “Through SIR, real votes are being deleted. They have created panna pradhans and panna pramukhs in every lane and locality. They identify which homes support BJP, which support Aam Aadmi Party and which support Congress, then opposition votes are targeted and new votes are created. Same voters are voting in multiple states. On one hand they say one nation one election, but when two states vote there is a one-week gap. Why is there a gap if the country has enough security forces? First votes are cast at one place, then people are shifted in vehicles and trains to another place. Is this democracy? This is a new kind of democracy.”

He said the values for which freedom fighters gave their lives were being betrayed. “This is not the democracy our martyrs dreamed of, the democracy for which Lala Lajpat Rai took lathi blows and Bhagat Singh kissed the noose. They made no sacrifices, yet now they want to keep changing the Constitution. Give them 360 seats and they will do anything to the Constitution. Such Bills keep coming. It appears they spend twenty-four hours only thinking about how to weaken democracy.”

CM Bhagwant Singh Mann said opposition parties, especially the AAP, were being targeted through investigative agencies but would not be intimidated. “Arvind Kejriwal is our General. We are not going to fear them or panic. Let them send ED, CBI or any department they wish. We will give every account. The moment someone is in the Aam Aadmi Party or another opposition party, he becomes corrupt. The moment a highly corrupt person joins BJP, he is washed clean. BJP’s ‘washing machine politics’ would eventually collapse. This washing machine will not run for long. If you keep putting stained clothes into a machine again and again, one day even its filter gets blocked.”

He shared, history had repeatedly shown that arrogance leads to downfall. “Alexander kept conquering and forgot how to return. Their day will also come. These raids are cowardly acts. Old allegations are repeatedly brought back. We strongly condemn them. We stand with truth, and truth cannot be scorched.”

He also criticised sections of the media for blindly glorifying every government move. “Everything becomes a masterstroke. Remove MGNREGA, masterstroke. Bring MGNREGA, masterstroke. Every decision is projected the same way. Look at Hungary. They had bought the judiciary, the media and every resource, yet that dictator also lost badly when the people stood together. If they want to prepare for 2027, they should go and work among the people, not with ED, CBI.”

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*Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema flags off 25 new vehicles to boost excise & taxation enforcement amidst record revenue growth*

*New Fleet Aims to Curb Tax Evasion & Enhance Real-Time Monitoring: Harpal Singh Cheema*

*Punjab Records Robust 12.52% Growth in Net GST & 9.15% in Excise Revenue for FY 2025-26:Harpal Singh Cheema*

*Over Four-Fold Increase in Penalties Imposed by SIPUs Highlights Uncompromising Enforcement: Harpal Singh Cheema*

*Bhagwant Mann Govt ramps up ground-level surveillance with new fleet to curb evasion & secure revenue: Harpal Singh Cheema*

CHANDIGARH; 17th April 2026:Punjab Finance, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday flagged off 25 new Bolero vehicles to strengthen the operational mobility and enforcement capabilities of the Excise and Taxation Department, asserting that the move will significantly enhance field presence, curb tax evasion, and boost revenue generation for the Punjab Government.

Addressing a press, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated, “Today marks a vital step forward for our state administration as we officially flag off 25 new Bolero vehicles to significantly enhance the operational mobility and enforcement capabilities of the Excise and Taxation Department.”

Emphasising the need for stronger on-ground operations and wider geographical reach, the Minister stated, “To ensure maximum geographical coverage and operational efficiency, the Department has procured these 25 Bolero vehicles at a total cost of approximately ₹2.21 crore. These vehicles will be deployed across various districts, enforcement wings, and our critical mobile units.”

Highlighting the crucial role played by the department in strengthening Punjab’s finances, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema noted, “The Excise and Taxation Department plays a crucial role in ensuring strict compliance with tax laws across the State. During the financial year 2025-26, the Department delivered a robust performance, recording healthy growth in tax collections over the previous financial year of 2024-25.”

Detailing the strong revenue growth, he noted, “Overall tax revenue witnessed a strong year-on-year growth. Gross GST collections increased by 11.87% to ₹27,744.05 Crore from ₹24,799.18 Crore, while Net GST collections rose by 12.52% to ₹26,601.12 Crore from ₹23,642.08 Crore. Similarly, our Excise revenue grew by 9.15%, reaching ₹11,736.57 Crore compared to ₹10,752.80 Crore in 2024-25.”

Underscoring the sharp improvement in enforcement outcomes, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said, “A standout achievement has been the exceptional performance of the State Intelligence and Preventive Units (SIPUs) in enforcement activities. In FY 2024-25, the total penalty imposed through road checking and inspections stood at ₹321.04 crores.”

The Minister asserted, “I am proud to say that this has risen sharply to ₹1,384.09 crores in FY 2025-26, representing more than a four-fold increase in penalty imposition and nearly a six-fold rise in recovery. This substantial improvement highlights the dedication, efficiency, and strengthened ground-level enforcement efforts of our Department.”

Explaining the strategic importance of the newly inducted fleet, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated, “This strategic initiative is expected to substantially strengthen the field presence of our officers. It will directly enable prompt inspections and investigations, improve our surveillance of inter-state goods movement, and greatly enhance our overall effectiveness in curbing tax evasion.”

“Consequently, this proactive measure will contribute heavily to higher revenue generation for the Government,” he added.

Outlining the department’s forward-looking vision, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema concluded, “The addition of this robust fleet will further augment the Department’s capacity for real-time monitoring, swift action, and improved tax compliance across the region. Ultimately, we are paving the way for sustained and enhanced performance in the coming years, ensuring that our tax infrastructure remains vigilant and uncompromising.”

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*Cabinet Minister Mohinder Bhagat reviews progress of ‘Rangla Punjab’ development grants in S.A.S. Nagar*

* 174 infrastructure and development works worth Rs 8.47 crore underway

* Additional ₹5 crore for each constituency to be released soon

Chandigarh / S.A.S. Nagar, April 17:Cabinet Minister Sh. Mohinder Bhagat today reviewed the progress of development works being undertaken under the ‘Rangla Punjab’ Mission in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (S.A.S. Nagar) district. The review meeting was attended by Chairman, Punjab Youth Development Board, Sh. Parminder Singh Goldy and Chairperson, District Planning Committee, Er. Prabhjot Kaur, along with senior district officials.

The Minister informed that a total of 174 infrastructure-related works are currently under progress across the district, with an allocation of Rs 8.47 crore, aimed at strengthening rural infrastructure and improving public amenities. During the meeting, he directed all concerned officials to ensure timely completion of these works, emphasising quality and adherence to deadlines.

Deputy Commissioner Ms.Komal Mittal apprised that out of the total 174 works, 45 have already been completed. She further informed that an additional instalment of Rs 2.5 crore each has been received for the three constituencies in the district.

The ongoing development works include construction of community centres, panchayat ghars, dharamshalas, playgrounds, streets and drainage systems, boundary walls of cremation grounds, village entry gates, repair of dispensaries, construction of school classrooms, installation of solar lights, and conversion of katchha houses into pakka houses for economically weaker sections.

Sh. Mohinder Bhagat stated that upon completion of the current phase of works, an additional grant of Rs 5 crore per constituency will be released during the current financial year. He reiterated that under the leadership of Chief Minister Sh. Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab Government is committed to the comprehensive development of both rural and urban areas, with a focus on strengthening road networks, canal irrigation, and enhancing education and healthcare services.

The Minister also reviewed the progress and social impact of the ongoing anti-drug campaign ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’, which forms an integral part of the ‘Rangla Punjab’ Mission. SP (PBI) Ms Deepika Singh and SP (Headquarters) Mr Mohit Aggarwal informed that around 333 village/ward defence committees are actively working to spread awareness among citizens. They further stated that drug hotspots are under constant surveillance and that individuals affected by substance abuse are being provided treatment through nasha mukti kendras and other de-addiction centres.

Among others present at the meeting were Commissioner, Municipal Corporation Mohali, Sh. Sundeep Singh Garha; ADC (Rural Development) Ms Sonam Chaudhary; Deputy Economic and Statistical Advisor Ms Gurminder Kaur; and BDPOs of Kharar, Derabassi and Majri.