Hours after realtor Gill joined BJP, Punjab Vigilance raids his residence, office

Chandigarh, Aug 2 (IANS) Hours after realtor and former Shiromani Akali Dal general secretary Ranjit Singh Gill joined the BJP, the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Saturday conducted raids at his residence in Chandigarh and his corporate office in Kharar town in Mohali district.  

The Vigilance claimed the raid was part of a broader probe linked to a disproportionate assets case against Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia, who is in judicial custody.

Gill, who unsuccessfully contested the Assembly elections from Kharar, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday night. The induction ceremony was held at the residence of Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini here.

Taking strong exception to the raid, BJP national General Secretary Tarun Chugh condemned the AAP government for using Vigilance police to settle political scores. Chugh said the Bhagwant Mann government is in panic with the growing strength of the BJP in Punjab.

“The Mann government has turned the state into a personal playground where police agencies are misused like private militia,” Chugh said in a statement. He said the Mann government under Arvind Kejriwal has been spreading terror among political opponents, which will hit back on its face sooner than later.

He warned the AAP regime that Punjab will not remain silent. “I want to tell Bhagwant Mann and his Delhi masters, Punjab doesn’t bow down to bullies. If you think you can silence voices by misusing raids and bureaucracy, you’re gravely mistaken.” However, AAP raised concerns over the BJP's late-night induction of a former Akali Dal leader who is allegedly linked to an ongoing vigilance case.

Speaking to the media here, AAP spokesperson Neel Garg questioned the suspicious timing, secrecy, and political message of the event, calling it an apparent attempt to shield individuals under investigation. He asked why the induction was done in the dead of night and why it was not conducted by any Punjab BJP leader, instead by Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

“What was so urgent that a person facing serious questions in a vigilance probe was made to join the BJP without any public event or senior Punjab leadership present? Why was this done quietly and away from public scrutiny?” Garg asked. He pointed out that the person who joined the BJP is allegedly connected to the same vigilance case in which senior Akali leader Bikram Majithia has already been arrested for amassing disproportionate assets.

“Just days ago, senior BJP leader Captain Amarinder Singh openly supported Majithia. Now, another person associated with that case has been brought into the BJP fold with the help of Haryana’s Chief Minister. Is this BJP’s way of signalling that it stands with those involved in the drug trade?” the AAP spokesperson questioned.

However, the Vigilance Bureau said it has uncovered details of suspicious financial transactions running into crores between Gillco Developers and entities linked with Akali leader Majithia. Further investigations are ongoing.

An official spokesperson of the Vigilance said the searches were carried out in Punjab and Chandigarh. He said after registration of an FIR against Majithia, certain suspicious financial links and transactions between Gillco Developers and some of the entities had come to notice. These were developed in a meticulous manner by conducting investigations. To conduct further in-depth inquiries into these transactions and to gather relevant evidence, the Vigilance Bureau has conducted these searches in accordance with the procedure established by law, the Vigilance Bureau added.

Saying that the AAP had been pressuring Gill for the past 15 days to join their party, Punjab BJP’s working President Ashwani Sharma said that when Gill did not agree and instead joined the BJP, considering phenomenal national development and the state’s future, the AAP-led government orchestrated a Vigilance raid against him out of political vendetta.

Sharma further claimed the raid occurring within 12 hours of Gill joining the BJP proved that AAP now “recognises the BJP as its principal political alternative in Punjab for the 2027 elections”.

Welcoming Gill, the owner of the Gillco Group, which has developed residential, commercial, entertainment, and educational projects across Mohali district, CM Saini on Friday night said, “All good people who are impressed by the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and the performance of BJP-ruled states are joining the party's development-oriented journey.”

Gill, who was once close to Sukhbir Badal, resigned from the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) on July 18, expressing dissatisfaction with the party's deviation from its core values and disconnect with grassroots workers. Gill contested the Assembly elections in 2017 and 2022 from Kharar.

--IANS

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