ED action against nephew is oppression, ministers are also getting threats: Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi has levelled a serious allegation on the Centre. He has accused the Centre of using its investigating agencies to intimidate him so that Congress Party will not contest the forthcoming elections in Punjab.

He raised several questions on the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on his nephew Bhupinder Singh Honey. The raid was conducted over a 2018 sand mining case.

Channi said, “What I have heard is that they wanted to arrest me last night. The courts were kept open till 6 am (because) I will be arrested. My nephew was tortured to bring my name into the case. But when it did not happen then they asked the court to close. I have not met my nephew. We do not even know where he is now. I have been told that those who interrogated him told him that they would not allow us to contest elections.”

He added, “This is oppression. We are being forcibly dragged into the case. I hope the people of Punjab will stand with me as I have stood by them during the visit of the prime minister. I have been a minister and MLA but there is no taint on me. But they want to forcibly put a blot on me. I have been told that I will not be allowed to file nomination and contest elections.”

He also alleged that his ministers were also getting threats. He appealed to the Election Commission that if it wants a fair election then the Centre’s excesses should be stopped.

“When my nephew’s name is not there in the FIR then why has he been dragged? The other accused Kudratdeep Singh’s name has been deleted from the FIR as the mine allotted to him did not operate,” Channi said.

He added, “I do not say spare my kin if he is tainted. But when he is not involved then why should they be doing all this? Honey became a partner in Kudrat Deep Singh’s firm later. The FIR was registered earlier.”