Sambit Patra targets AAP over High Court-ordered CBI probe into Punjab CM's officeਸੰਬਿਤ ਪਾਤਰਾ ਦਾ 'ਆਪ' 'ਤੇ ਹਮਲਾ: ਹਾਈ ਕੋਰਟ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਸੀਬੀਆਈ ਜਾਂਚ ਦੇ ਹੁਕਮਾਂ 'ਤੇ ਭਾਜਪਾ ਨੇ ਮੰਗੇ ਜਵਾਬ

BJP leader Sambit Patra on Monday launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, saying the Punjab and Haryana High Court's decision to order a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into corruption allegations involving Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's Officer on Special Duty has confirmed what the BJP has "been saying all along".

Patra's charge at the press conference

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Patra said the high court's directive "directly confirms" the corruption allegations the BJP has raised against the Punjab administration. "As you can see, the Bharatiya Janata Party has maintained all along that in Punjab, whether it is the law and order situation or corruption, everything has reached a breaking point," he said.

He alleged that under the AAP government, law and order has completely collapsed while corruption is at an all-time high. Patra demanded that AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, the party leadership and Chief Minister Mann clarify the extent of the alleged scam, how deeply their own secretaries are involved, and the nature of the corruption being carried out under their oversight.

The allegations behind the CBI probe

The high court ordered the CBI to investigate the Enforcement Directorate's three letters to the Punjab Director General of Police, which alleged a corruption racket involving Mann's OSD Rajbir Singh Ghuman and his associates. The case was reported earlier on Jugti after the court handed the probe to the central agency.

The ED's reference grew out of its money-laundering investigation into the Rs 348-crore Sunteck City project. Punjab Police never registered an FIR on the ED's reference; a public interest litigation by advocate Nikhil Saraf then sought a court-monitored probe. The high court has asked the CBI to submit its findings within two months.

Law-and-order charge

Patra also flagged the law-and-order situation in the state, citing four murders in 48 hours and attacks on police personnel in Punjab. He said the AAP government had failed on both governance and security, and that the court's intervention proved the state machinery could not be trusted to investigate charges touching the Chief Minister's own office.

What happens next

The CBI probe will now run parallel to an escalating political battle. The AAP is yet to issue a detailed rebuttal to Patra's specific charges; Mann has previously called the underlying corruption allegations baseless. With the court's two-month reporting deadline, the agency's findings could land amid the ongoing political churn in the state ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections.

Why did the High Court order a CBI probe in Punjab?

Because the Punjab Police never registered an FIR on the Enforcement Directorate's three letters to the DGP alleging corruption involving the Chief Minister's OSD and others. A PIL sought the court's intervention, and the court handed the matter to the CBI with a two-month deadline for its findings.

Who is Rajbir Singh Ghuman?

He is the Officer on Special Duty to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, named in the ED's reference as a key figure in the alleged corruption racket. The allegations are unproven and no charges have been established against him.

What did Sambit Patra demand?

Patra demanded that Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP leadership and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann clarify the scale of the alleged scam and the role of their secretaries in it.

Has AAP responded to Patra's charges?

As of publication, the party had not issued a detailed rebuttal to the press conference remarks. Mann has previously described the underlying corruption allegations as baseless.