Punjab Congress Condemns Income Tax Raids on Former Minister Sunder Sham Arora's Residence
In a significant development that has stirred political controversy in Punjab, federal agency officials conducted extensive raids at the residence of former minister Sunder Sham Arora in Hoshiarpur and other locations connected to the Congress leader. The Punjab Congress has vehemently criticized these actions, alleging that central investigative agencies are being systematically weaponized to intimidate and silence opposition voices in the state.
Details of the Raid and Political Reactions
Officials from the income tax department arrived at Arora's palatial house on Jodha Mal Road in the morning, with searches continuing well into the late evening. While initial reports suggested an Enforcement Directorate operation, former Punjab chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi clarified that it was indeed an income tax department raid. Channi took to social media platform X to express his strong condemnation, stating, "The income tax raid on the residence of Sham Sunder Arora, former minister and senior Congress leader, is a blatant misuse of government machinery. Central agencies are being weaponised to intimidate and silence the opposition. Such actions strike at the very roots of democracy and must be condemned unequivocally."
Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa echoed these sentiments, accusing the BJP of openly misusing central agencies as tools for political vendetta and intimidation rather than as protectors of the law. "The ED raid on the house of former minister Sunder Sham Arora, who left the BJP and returned to the INC, once again proved that the central government was trampling on democratic principles to settle political scores," Randhawa asserted. He further claimed that leaders aligning with the BJP receive favorable treatment, while those who dissent or leave the party face punitive actions like raids.
Sunder Sham Arora's Political Journey and Legal Battles
Sunder Sham Arora has had a tumultuous political career, marked by several shifts and legal challenges. He previously helmed the industries and commerce department in the Captain Amarinder Singh government but was dropped from his position when Charanjit Singh Channi assumed the chief ministership. In a notable political move, Arora joined the BJP in June 2022 following the assembly elections, only to return to the Congress fold in August 2024. His re-induction was formalized by Punjab party affairs in-charge Devendra Yadav in Delhi, with Punjab Congress leadership, including PPCC president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, and general secretary Sandeep Sandhu, welcoming him back in Chandigarh.
Arora's legal troubles have been equally complex. He was arrested on October 16, 2022, from Zirakpur in connection with a case involving the alleged transfer of an industrial plot by the vigilance bureau and a disproportionate assets probe. During this arrest, it was alleged that he handed over a bag containing Rs 50 lakh to AIG Manmohan Kumar to clear his name from the ongoing investigations. In January 2023, another FIR was registered against him under the Prevention of Corruption Act, criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy at the vigilance bureau police station in Mohali, related to the transfer of an industrial plot to a real estate company for township development.
However, in a relief for Arora, the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashed this FIR in December 2024, along with the cases against 11 others, including an IAS officer, citing lack of evidence or procedural issues.
Congress Leadership Stands in Solidarity
In response to the raids, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring expressed unwavering support for Arora, posting on social media, "Misuse of central agencies can't break the resolve of the Punjab Congress. The entire Congress is with Arora." This statement underscores the party's stance that such actions are politically motivated attempts to undermine opposition strength in the state.
The incident has reignited debates over the alleged misuse of central agencies for political gains, with the Congress accusing the ruling BJP of employing intimidation tactics to suppress dissent. As the situation unfolds, it highlights the ongoing tensions between state and central political forces in Punjab, raising concerns about democratic norms and the impartiality of investigative bodies.
