Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday hit out at the BJP over an Enforcement Directorate (ED) letter seeking registration of an FIR against persons allegedly linked to his officer on special duty (OSD), saying he did not need a “certificate of honesty” from anyone and accusing BJP of using central agencies against political opponents ahead of elections.Replying to questions on the ED letter to DGP Gaurav Yadav, Mann dismissed the allegations as baseless and mockingly referred to the BJP as the “ED party”. “I don’t need a certificate of honesty from anyone. This won’t deter me. The opposition cannot find any real issues. They should focus on sorting out their own infighting,” Mann said.The ED had written to the DGP seeking an FIR against persons allegedly associated with the CM’s OSD for alleged interference in postings and transfers of officials, policymaking, manipulation in tenders and land deals.Mann also attacked the BJP over the arrest of AAP leader and Punjab co-incharge Satyendar Jain, alleging that the party was resorting to “old anti-democratic tactics” to target rivals ahead of elections. “BJP is baffled as it cannot find political ground in Punjab. Its strategy is anti-democracy. They put senior opposition leaders behind bars ahead of polls even if they later come clean. A similar exercise was done in Delhi too where ahead of the Vidhan Sabha polls, the entire top brass of the AAP was put behind bars,” he said.“BJP is misusing central agencies like the ED and CBI to defame, threaten and suppress its political opponents, but such political vendetta would not deter AAP govt from working for the common people,” he added.In a post on X, Mann called Jain’s arrest “a clear case of political vendetta” and alleged that the Centre was misusing agencies to intimidate and suppress opposition leaders.On the recent rains, Mann said the govt was monitoring water levels in rivers and other water sources and urged people not to panic.Asked about his request to the governor to seek 10-day parole for Jagtar Singh Hawara, Mann said, “Hawara should be given parole to meet his ailing mother on humanitarian grounds. I have already flagged this issue before the governor of Punjab. Now the final decision has to be taken by the Centre.”
