Chandigarh: Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi is not a common man but a “dishonest man” as he sought to corner the Congress leader over an ED raid on the premises of his nephew.
Kejriwal made the comment as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the premises linked to the Channi’s nephew and others as part of a money laundering probe against “sand mafia”.
Channi has dubbed the raids an attempt to “trap” him in the case while claiming that it was being done to take revenge as PM Narendra Modi had to return without addressing a rally in Ferozepur earlier this month.
Kejriwal through his comment sought to target the common man image, which Channi has tried to cultivate following his elevation as the chief minister last year.
“Channi aam aadmi nahi, baiman aadmi hai (Channi is not a common man, he is a dishonest man),” Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi attacking the CM on Wednesday.
On Tuesday too, Kejriwal had attacked Channi over illegal sand mining.
“It is sad that a relative of the chief minister is being raided for sand mining,” Kejriwal had said, adding that his party leader had earlier exposed how illegal sand mining was taking place in Channi’s Assembly constituency Chamkaur Sahib.
“Despite uncovering it, the chief minister did not take action and even tried to justify it. It is clear that he (CM) and his family are involved in illegal sand mining. What can be expected for Punjab’s future from a person whose family is involved in illegal mining,” he had said.
The ED raids have taken place just a month before the state goes to the polls on February 20.
The action has been initiated after taking cognisance of a 2018 FIR lodged at a Nawanshahr (Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar) police station.
According to ED sources, they seized around Rs 10 crore in cash, including Rs 8 crore from the premises linked to Channi’s nephew.