Chandigarh: Punjab Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO today strongly condemned the Enforcement Directorate (ED) searches in Punjab and questioned the manner in which the agency conducted a search at the residence of the nephew of his Cabinet colleague Hardeep Singh Mundian at Sahnewal in Ludhiana district. He said that the use of central investigative agencies to create an atmosphere of fear and political intimidation was deeply concerning and asserted that Punjab would not be cowed down by such actions.
Harbhajan Singh ETO said that investigative agencies have the legal right to conduct investigations in accordance with the law but their actions should not become a means of exerting political pressure on elected representatives or their families.
The Cabinet Minister said that the attempt to involve family members in political matters was particularly objectionable. He said that the allegations of family members being asked to convey a message to the Minister to leave the Aam Aadmi Party raise serious questions about the manner in which an investigative exercise was conducted.
He said that the people of Punjab were closely watching the developments and would distinguish between legitimate investigation and political pressure. He added that democratic institutions derive their credibility from fairness, transparency and adherence to the law and that no agency would be permitted to operate beyond its lawful mandate.
