'CM Channi not Aam Aadmi': Arvind Kejriwal's dig at Punjab CM after ED raids

Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday, January 19, took a dig at Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi hours after his press conference where he accused the Centre of using central probe agencies to discredit him.

The AAP national convenor quoted news agency ANI's report with his tweet, that says cash and property-related papers were recovered by the Enforcement Directorate after raids on Mr Channi's nephew's house.

"During a search at Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi's nephew Bhupinder Singh & his associate Sandeep Kumar's residence, some property-related documents and Indian currency worth more than ₹ 6 crores recovered - about 4 crores at Singh's house & 2 crores at Kumar's house," news agency ANI had tweeted along with a picture of wads of currency notes, quoting sources.

Yesterday, the ED had raided Punjab CM's nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey's house in connection with a 2018 illegal sand mining, causing controversy as it comes just weeks before the state assembly elections. The raids, in over a dozen locations in the state, were conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Today, during a press conference, accused the BJP-led central government of hatching a "conspiracy" to "trap" him in the case in which raids were conducted by the ED.

He alleged that whenever elections are to take place, the BJP government at the Centre uses agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Income Tax and others against political opponents to target and arm-twist them.

Channi also sought to link the ED raids at the premises of his nephew to the recent scheduled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Ferozepur, during which the PM returned without addressing a rally after his convoy got stuck for 15-20 minutes due to farmers' protest.

"What was my fault, if Modi had to return?...why revenge is being taken on me," the chief minister asked, referring to the ED raids.

Punjab is scheduled to go to the polls on February 20.