The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday launched statewide protests across Punjab against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government, accusing it of misusing central agencies to target political opponents and destabilize non-BJP governments.
Allegations of Political Weaponization
Senior AAP leader and Punjab minister Harpal Singh Cheema alleged that the BJP has turned agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), and the Income Tax Department into political weapons. He stated, "Whenever the BJP faces political defeat or resistance, it unleashes central agencies on opposition leaders. Bengal was targeted first, and now Punjab is being attacked because the BJP cannot digest the growing popularity of AAP and the pro-people work being done by the Bhagwant Mann government."
Protests Across the State
The protests were held in multiple cities and towns across Punjab, with AAP workers and supporters raising slogans against the central government. The party has been vocal in its criticism of the BJP's alleged misuse of investigative agencies, a charge that the BJP has consistently denied.
Cheema further emphasized that the AAP government in Punjab is focused on development and good governance, which has irked the ruling party at the centre. He called upon the people of Punjab to unite against what he termed as "political vendetta" by the central agencies.
The protests come amid a broader political tussle between the AAP and the BJP, with the latter accusing the AAP of corruption and mismanagement in Punjab. The AAP, however, maintains that the central agencies are being used selectively to harass opposition leaders.
As the political temperature rises, both parties are expected to continue their war of words, with the AAP planning further agitations in the coming days.
