Sangrur, October 2026: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Wednesday hit out at the BJP over the 12-hour CBI raid in Punjab, claiming that the agency teams returned empty-handed after conducting extensive searches across the state. He said the outcome was clear evidence of his government’s honesty.
Mann accused the BJP of using central agencies ahead of the elections to intimidate the elected Chief Minister and tarnish the image of the Punjab government. He said neither he nor his government would be intimidated by such tactics.
Taking to X, Mann said the CBI raid was the result of “political frustration” and asserted that he and his government would neither be frightened nor bow down to what he described as attempts to intimidate and defame them.
“We have not come here to make money, but to serve Punjab, and Punjabis never tolerate injustice,” he said.
Speaking to reporters after an event in Sangrur, Mann said the Punjab government would face central agencies and answer every question. He said the timing of the CBI raid indicated that the BJP had begun preparing for the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections.
Mann alleged that central agencies become active in states where the BJP faces political challenges as elections approach. Referring to Delhi and other states, he claimed that opposition leaders had faced arrests or investigations before elections.
He said the CBI teams that conducted searches in Punjab had returned empty-handed.
“They came with a purpose, but what did they find? Nothing. They returned empty-handed,” Mann said, adding that the raids were an attempt to create fear and damage the government’s image despite, according to him, no wrongdoing.
The Chief Minister alleged that the action was aimed not only at him politically but also at his family and the work being undertaken by his government.
“This is an attempt to defame me, my family and the work of our government. But such conspiracies cannot stop us from serving the people of Punjab,” Mann said.
Referring to the state government’s ongoing ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’ anti-drug campaign, Mann said political pressure would not weaken his resolve to fight drugs.
“We are fighting against drugs because the future of Punjab’s youth is at stake. We are taking this message to every corner of the state. This fight is for the future of our children and for the honour of the martyrs and those who sacrificed for Punjab,” he said.
Mann also accused the BJP of repeatedly acting against Punjab’s interests on issues including Punjab University, the Bhakra Beas Management Board, the Sutlej-Yamuna Link canal, the Harike canal, Republic Day tableaux, Rural Development Fund and border-area funds.
Referring to the farmers’ agitation against the three farm laws, Mann alleged that more than 700 farmers from Punjab had died during the protest.
“The BJP has the blood of more than 700 farmers on its hands who sacrificed their lives while protesting the black farm laws,” he alleged.
Highlighting his government’s work in agriculture, Mann said increased canal irrigation was benefiting farmers directly. He claimed that improved availability of canal water had increased crop yields by up to four quintals per acre in several areas.
He said expanding canal irrigation was also necessary to protect Punjab’s groundwater resources and secure the future of agriculture by reducing dependence on groundwater.
Targeting opposition parties, Mann said the Congress was struggling with internal differences, while the Shiromani Akali Dal had been pushed to the margins because of its past actions. He claimed that people preferred the AAP because of its work for ordinary citizens.
Mann said the AAP would continue working for the people and would write a new chapter in Punjab’s political history in the 2027 Assembly elections.
