Chandigarh, September 24, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Cabinet Minister Lalchand Singh Kataruchak on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using central institutions, including the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Election Commission, to pressure political opponents and opposition-ruled states.
Kataruchak alleged that the BJP, after coming to power in 2014 with promises including Rs 25 lakh in every account and two crore jobs annually, had increasingly resorted to what he described as unconstitutional methods instead of fulfilling those commitments.
He alleged that wherever the BJP faced political opposition, central agencies were used to create pressure and fear among opposition leaders and workers rather than confronting them politically.
Referring to the Delhi elections, Kataruchak alleged that officials and political leaders were intimidated and a climate of fear was created ahead of the polls. He claimed that cases were registered against AAP leaders who were subsequently jailed for extended periods, before courts later rejected or quashed the cases.
Kataruchak also raised questions over the functioning of the Election Commission, referring to objections reportedly raised by two Election Commissioners in communications to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar regarding the process being followed. He said these developments, along with ED actions, had renewed concerns about democratic institutions.
On Punjab, Kataruchak alleged that the ED was repeatedly targeting AAP leaders and workers. Referring to a recent search at the residence of a relative of an AAP minister in Ludhiana, he claimed that officials conducted the search while the family member was away and elderly parents were present, but left without recovering anything.
He also referred to an ED search at the residence of a person close to him around two months ago, claiming that after a 16-hour search, officials left without finding anything and provided this in writing.
Kataruchak said Punjab would not be intimidated by such actions. “We are sons of Punjab and we will stand against such actions and face them firmly,” he said, asserting that people in the state would respond democratically to what he described as the BJP’s politics of intimidation.
Highlighting the Bhagwant Mann government’s work, Kataruchak said decisions taken over the past four-and-a-half years had benefited people across Punjab. He cited developments in education, improvement in groundwater levels and measures to prevent exploitation of Punjab’s resources.
Kataruchak also highlighted Punjab’s contribution to India’s freedom struggle and agriculture, accusing the BJP of being hostile towards the state. Referring to the BJP’s recent ‘Nasha Mukt Punjab Yatra’ in Pathankot, he said the public response demonstrated what he described as a gap between the party’s political claims and public sentiment.
Kataruchak said Punjabis stood with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, adding that political pressure and actions by central agencies would not deter the people of Punjab from standing up for what he described as the right course.
FOLLOW NOW
