Punjab CM Mann condemns ED action against AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday condemned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids against AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj and claimed it was done to divert attention from discussions about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's degree.

Earlier in the day, the ED searched the premises of AAP Delhi unit chief Bharadwaj, some private contractors and commercial real estate developers as part of a money laundering probe linked to an alleged scam in health infrastructure projects during the previous Arvind Kejriwal government in the national capital, official sources said.

At least 13 locations in the National Capital Region were searched under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), they said.

"Today a raid was conducted against Saurabh Bharadwaj because since yesterday, there has been a discussion in the whole country that Modi ji's degree is fake. This raid has been carried out to divert attention from it," Mann said in a post on X.

ਅੱਜ ਸੌਰਭ ਭਾਰਦਵਾਜ 'ਤੇ ਰੇਡ ਕੀਤੀ ਗਈ, ਕਿਉਂਕਿ ਕੱਲ੍ਹ ਤੋਂ ਪੂਰੇ ਦੇਸ਼ ਵਿੱਚ ਮੋਦੀ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਡਿਗਰੀ ਨੂੰ ਲੈ ਚਰਚਾ ਹੈ ਕਿ ਮੋਦੀ ਜੀ ਦੀ ਡਿਗਰੀ ਫ਼ਰਜ਼ੀ ਹੈ। ਇਹ ਰੇਡ ਸਿਰਫ਼ ਇਸ ਮਾਮਲੇ ਤੋਂ ਧਿਆਨ ਭਟਕਾਉਣ ਲਈ ਕੀਤੀ ਗਈ ਹੈ।

ਸਤੇਂਦਰ ਜੈਨ ਜੀ ਨੂੰ ਵੀ ਝੂਠੇ ਕੇਸ 'ਚ ਤਿੰਨ ਸਾਲ ਜੇਲ੍ਹ ਵਿੱਚ ਰੱਖਿਆ ਗਿਆ, ਤੇ ਬਾਅਦ 'ਚ CBI ਤੇ ED ਨੇ ਅਦਾਲਤ…

— Bhagwant Mann (@BhagwantMann) August 26, 2025

"(AAP leader) Satyendar Jain ji was also kept in jail for three years, and later CBI and ED filed a closure report in the court. It is clear from this that all the cases filed against Aam Aadmi Party leaders are fake and false," said Mann.

The ED investigation against Bharadwaj (45) stems from an FIR registered by Delhi's Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) in June.

The ACB booked Bharadwaj, his party colleague and ex-health minister Satyendar Jain, private contractors and unknown government officials for alleged corruption in health infrastructure projects by the previous AAP government led by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

AAP's Punjab unit president and Cabinet minister Aman Arora also criticised the ED action against Bharadwaj.

"Every time questions are raised about Modi ji, the ED is sent after AAP leaders. Today, a raid was conducted against Saurabh Bharadwaj because the country is discussing Modi ji's fake degree.

"But the truth is that the case dates back to a time when Saurabh wasn't even a minister. This entire matter is fabricated, just like Satyendar Jain's case -- where after keeping him in jail for 3 years, the agencies had to submit a closure report in court. This is proof that all cases against AAP leaders are fake," Arora said in a post on X.

हर बार जब मोदी जी पर सवाल उठते हैं, ED को AAP नेताओं के पीछे भेज दिया जाता है। आज सौरभ भारद्वाज पर रेड डाली गई क्योंकि देश मोदी जी की फर्जी डिग्री पर चर्चा कर रहा है। मगर सच ये है कि केस उस समय का है जब सौरभ मंत्री भी नहीं थे। ये पूरा मामला गढ़ा हुआ है, बिल्कुल सत्येंद्र जैन की…

— Aman Arora (@AroraAmanSunam) August 26, 2025

The Delhi High Court on Monday set aside a Central Information Commission order directing disclosure of details related to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's bachelor's degree, saying that only because he is holding a public office does not mean all his "personal information" should be disclosed publicly.