From corridors of power: ED near CM Mann’s gate, Amarinder’s stick-free return, and AAP’s ‘unequal’ Aroras

It is becoming an investigative landmark. One neighbour gets raided, another gets named, and the Chief Minister sits in the middle like the untouched house in a row of falling dominoes. For the AAP government, which has repeatedly cried vendetta, the message is hard to miss. The bullet did not hit the target. But it certainly passed through the compound wall.

EC’s bane, CM’s boon

The posting of IPS officer Ravjot Kaur Grewal in Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s home turf of Sangrur carries a message beyond routine administration. This is the same officer who was suspended by the Election Commission during the Tarn Taran bypoll after complaints by the Shiromani Akali Dal alleging partisan conduct and the illegal detention of Akali workers.

At the time, the suspension became a political talking point, with Akali leaders accusing her of siding with the ruling AAP. The Punjab government, however, defended the police action and questioned the EC’s intervention. Now, by bringing her to Sangrur, the CM’s own district and political nerve centre, the government appears to be sending a signal.

In Punjab’s political language, if not elsewhere, postings are often endorsements. The message is hard to miss: despite the controversy, the government has chosen not to distance itself from the officer. Instead, it has moved her closer home.

Captain returns

Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh may be preparing for a political comeback of sorts, lighter, fitter, and without the walking stick that had become part of his public image in recent years. Those close to the Captain say he has shed nearly 28 kg, undergone knee replacement surgery, and is now ready to return to the political field with renewed energy. “He can now hit the road without the stick,” says an aide, almost like announcing a relaunch of an old political brand.

The timing is interesting. The BJP is trying to expand its space in Punjab, especially after an overwhelming victory in the West Bengal Assembly elections. His aides feel he can once again be the charismatic leader who drew crowds effortlessly across the state during his heyday. The same Captain who was once seen as the state’s tallest mass leader also watched his appeal fade sharply in his final years in office. The question now is whether Punjab still wants its old Captain back or only remembers him from a distance.

Unequal Aroras

In the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), it seems not all Aroras are defended equally. When the Enforcement Directorate went after Punjab Cabinet Minister Aman Arora, he appeared largely on his own. He held a press conference, defended himself, and challenged the agency almost single-handedly. The silence from the wider AAP ecosystem was hard to miss.

There was no signature coordinated outrage from AAP. No flood of posts on X. No senior leader rushing to address the media. But when ED action touched Cabinet Minister Sanjeev Arora, the party machinery roared to life. Arvind Kejriwal posted on X. Bhagwant Mann posted on X. Ministers and MLAs followed in chorus. Mann himself addressed a press conference. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema too came out strongly against the ED action. The contrast was too striking to miss. One Arora fought a solo battle. The other got the full brass band. Some people are more equal than others; it was evident.