Exercise in optics, smoke-and-mirror tactics move to mislead people: Punjab Congress

Following Arora’s arrest, Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa accused the AAP-led Punjab government of being knee-deep in corruption while attempting to save face with hollow gestures.

“This is nothing more than a desperate attempt to revive the party’s plummeting image,” Bajwa said.

“After trying to hoodwink the public with gimmicks like ‘Shiksha Kranti’ and ‘Yudh Nasheyan Virudh’, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is now attempting to portray himself as a crusader against corruption.

But the truth is, no meaningful action will ever follow and no one will actually be convicted,” Bajwa said in a statement.

About Arora’s arrest, Bajwa noted that this is not an isolated incident.

“This isn’t the first time AAP MLAs and ministers have been named in corruption and extortion cases. Rather than pursuing legal action, the AAP government has routinely buried such cases to protect its own,” he alleged.

Taking a dig at AAP’s public posturing, Bajwa questioned, “If the party had prior knowledge of Raman Arora‘s alleged misdeeds, why was no action taken before? This so-called ‘Kattar Imaandaar’ party is anything but honest. It’s all a facade designed to deceive voters.”

The senior Congress leader pointed out that this latest move is just another failed attempt by AAP to project itself as a clean and accountable party.

“Since coming to power in 2022, CM Mann’s government has failed to act decisively even in cases where allegations were clear. Take the case of former health minister Vijay Singla, accused of corruption — no action has been taken and he remains active in party affairs,” Bajwa said, claiming that many other Punjab AAP leaders have faced serious allegations.

“Yet, the AAP government’s so-called zero-tolerance stance against corruption has remained just a slogan,” he alleged.

“AAP continues to resort to smoke-and-mirror tactics to cover up its failures and shield its own. The people of Punjab deserve real accountability, not political theatre,” Bajwa said.

Congress MLA from Bholath, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, termed Arora’s arrest a “blatant eyewash” and a “political gimmick”, “orchestrated” by the Mann-led AAP government “to mislead the public ahead of the upcoming Ludhiana West byelection”.

Khaira drew parallels to the arrest of former minister Vijay Singla ahead of the Sangrur Lok Sabha byelection in 2022, pointing out that despite serious corruption charges, no charge-sheet was ever filed against him.

“Dr Vijay Singla continues to enjoy the full patronage of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and the party, proving that such arrests are mere stunts to create a false narrative of accountability,” Khaira alleged in a statement.

“The arrest of Raman Arora is a repeat of the same script played out before the Sangrur byelection. The AAP government is desperate to divert attention from its failures and rampant corruption within its ranks. Punjabis are not fooled by these tactics,” Khaira said, urging the public to see through the “political drama” and hold the AAP accountable “for its betrayal of the common man’s trust”.