Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the donations received by what he called the “ED party” were not voluntary contributions but the result of intimidation and coercion.
Image: IANS
A fresh political controversy has erupted in Punjab over party donations, with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using central agencies to allegedly pressure businessmen for contributions, while the BJP countered by claiming that donation figures reflect growing dissatisfaction with the AAP government among the state’s business community.
The war of words began after Kejriwal, in a post on social media platform X, questioned how a party with only two MLAs in Punjab could receive donations worth ₹60 crore from traders and industrialists, while the ruling AAP, despite enjoying a majority government in the state, received only ₹70 lakh in contributions.
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Kejriwal alleged that the donations received by what he called the “ED party” were not voluntary contributions but the result of intimidation and coercion. He claimed that businessmen in Punjab were being threatened with Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids unless they contributed funds. He urged traders and industrialists not to succumb to such pressure and assured them that the Punjab government would support anyone facing threats or coercion.
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The AAP leader further said that any individual found intimidating businessmen for political donations would face immediate legal action. He asserted that Punjab’s people would not be cowed down by threats and urged the business community to report any such incidents to the state government.
Responding sharply, BJP Punjab spokesperson Pritpal Singh Balliewal rejected the allegations and said the donation figures pointed towards a different political reality. According to him, traders and industrialists generally support parties in which they see prospects and political credibility.
Balliewal claimed that the disparity in donation figures indicated that Punjab’s business community had lost confidence in the AAP government. He said the contributions reflected a growing sentiment among traders that political change in the state was inevitable.
The BJP leader also targeted the state’s law-and-order situation, alleging that businessmen were facing incidents of robbery, extortion and threats from gangsters regularly. In such circumstances, he argued, the ruling party should consider itself fortunate to have received even ₹70 lakh in donations.
Balliewal further claimed that reports suggesting that the Congress received around ₹3 crore in donations from traders showed that sections of the business community had greater confidence in opposition parties than in the current government. He maintained that the donation figures were a clear indication of changing political preferences among Punjab’s traders and industrialists.
The exchange has added a new dimension to Punjab’s political discourse, with both sides using donation data to support competing narratives. While AAP alleges coercive fundraising through fear of central agencies, the BJP maintains that the figures reflect the business community’s assessment of the state’s political and governance environment.
The controversy is expected to intensify in the coming days as both parties continue to trade accusations over political funding and the confidence of Punjab’s business sector.
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