The political battle in Punjab intensified after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) searched Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s camp office in Chandigarh in connection with a corruption case involving his Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Rajbir Singh Ghuman and others.
The searches, conducted at multiple locations across Punjab and Chandigarh, came a day after the Punjab and Haryana High Court directed the CBI to investigate allegations of corruption linked to Mann’s office. The CBI subsequently registered an FIR against Ghuman and five others and carried out searches at eight locations.
Mann, however, turned the development into a political issue, accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using central agencies to target his government ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections.
Bhagwant Mann Accuses BJP Of Targeting Punjab Government
Reacting to the CBI action, Mann alleged that the BJP had begun preparing for the Punjab elections and was attempting to use the CBI and Enforcement Directorate (ED) against his government.
He described the raid at his camp office as a sign of the BJP’s alleged desperation to gain a foothold in Punjab and claimed that the agencies could be used to defame him and the state government.
Mann also linked the development to issues including the farmers’ protest, Punjab’s water concerns and the Panjab University matter. He alleged that the BJP was unsettled by the support he was receiving from people in the state.
The allegations made by Mann are political claims and have been rejected by the BJP. The CBI investigation is based on allegations that remain subject to investigation.
What Is The CBI Investing?
The case centres on allegations involving Mann’s OSD Rajbir Singh Ghuman and other officials and private individuals.
According to the CBI, the investigation concerns allegations of influencing or manipulating the postings of IAS and IPS officers, departmental proceedings, policy formulation, administrative approvals, tender conditions, licensing matters, land-use conversion, property disputes and revenue-related matters in exchange for alleged financial benefits.
The CBI has also alleged that some accused public servants provided private individuals with access to government documents and drafts of orders or policies before their official release.
The allegations stem from material shared by the ED. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had said the material prima facie disclosed cognisable offences and directed the CBI to conduct an independent investigation.
AAP Backs Bhagwant Mann
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal also attacked the BJP, alleging that the central agencies were being used because the BJP could not defeat the AAP through elections.
Punjab AAP chief Aman Arora similarly linked the CBI action to the 2027 elections and accused the BJP of being uneasy with the work of the Mann government.
The AAP leaders’ statements came as the party sought to frame the CBI searches as politically motivated rather than simply as a corruption investigation.
BJP Rejects Political Targeting Charge
The BJP has rejected Mann’s allegations and said the CBI action was not ordered by the Centre but followed directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Senior BJP leader Tarun Chugh said the agency was carrying out its job in accordance with the court’s directions and urged the Mann government to allow the investigation and judicial process to proceed.
Punjab BJP leaders also demanded accountability from the AAP government and accused it of trying to avoid scrutiny.
The BJP has maintained that the investigation should be allowed to establish whether the allegations have merit, rather than being turned into a political dispute.
Punjab Government Moves Supreme Court
The political and legal confrontation has now moved to the Supreme Court. The Punjab government has challenged the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s order directing the CBI investigation, arguing against the probe into allegations linked to Mann’s office.
With the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections approaching, the CBI investigation has added another major flashpoint to the state’s political landscape. For now, the corruption allegations remain under investigation, while Mann and the BJP continue to trade accusations over the timing and implications of the CBI action.
