‘It’s typical Modi style’, says Bhagwant Mann after ED raids on Punjab AAP leader Ashok Mittal's properties in Jalandhar

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday said that the raid on the residence and official premises of Aam Aadmi Party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, Ashok Mittal, indicates that the BJP has launched its campaign for the 2027 Punjab Vidhan Sabha elections.

Officials from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are currently conducting search and seizure operations at Mittal’s residence and at premises linked to the Lovely Group, which he owns.

Mittal was recently elevated to the post of Deputy Leader of AAP in the Rajya Sabha, replacing party MP Raghav Chadha. The move reportedly triggered a bitter public spat within the party, with Chadha being accused by some leaders of being “compromised.”

Reacting to the raid, Mann took to social media, stating that it reflected the BJP’s election strategy in Punjab. “It’s typical Modi style. Hum vo patte nahin jo shakh se tut kar gir jayenge, aandhiyon se kaho aukat mein rahen,” he said.

This is not the first time Mann has targeted the BJP. In the past, he has accused the party of attempting to divide people along sectarian lines. He has also frequently raised the issue of unpaid Rural Development Fund (RDF) dues—now totaling around ₹9,000 crore—and criticised the Prime Minister over his foreign visits. In recent months, Mann’s political rhetoric has become increasingly anti-BJP.

Meanwhile, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal said that the people of Punjab would not tolerate the alleged misuse of central agencies to target AAP leaders. He added that the BJP would receive a befitting reply from Punjab.

मोदी जी ने पंजाब में चुनावों की तैयारी शुरू कर दी। लेकिन पंजाब के लोग ये बर्दाश्त नहीं करेंगे। बीजेपी को इसका करारा जवाब देंगे। https://t.co/0yorKVftpM

— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 15, 2026

AAP Punjab Affairs incharge, Manish Sisodia, said: “ED and CBI are the first batch of BJP pollsters that reach any state going to polls. Then they send people who create riots, before the two top BJP leaders Modi and Shah go for election campaign. This time, they should remember that this is Punjab where those who hate Bhagat Singh and Dr B R Ambedkar won’t find any (political) traction”.

BJP reacts

Reacting to the developments, Minister of State for Railways and BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ravneet Singh Bittu alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party had several “thugs” among its members.

He said that FIRs were being registered against sitting ministers of the state government and that “corrupt MPs are being held accountable by central enforcement agencies.”

He added, “Modi ji follows the policy of Swachh Bharat… he has to clean the dirt.”

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar said that as incidents involving AAP MLAs continue to surface daily and the state government fails to take action, the Government of India may be compelled to intervene.

Cong reacts

“Congress leaders were quick to react to Mann’s statement. Congress MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal said, ‘Silence on the struggles of farmers and an instant tweet for the powerful—what kind of priorities are these? Has protecting power become more important than serving the people?’”