Chandigarh: Punjab minister Sanjeev Arora, whose premises were raided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recently, on Monday said he had not spoken with defector Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha for the past six-eight months, while asserting he would continue to be with AAP.Replying to a question if he would quit AAP, Arora said, “I am addressing you today as a cabinet minister of Punjab, I represent the AAP and I will keep on doing that. I am happy wherever I am and will stay here.” Asked about the seven Rajya Sabha members who defected to BJP, Arora said AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and chief minister Bhagwant Mann had given their responses on the issue and he endorsed that. “I don’t wish to add to what they have said,” said Arora. The ED raided 17 locations related to Arora on April 17 while he was travelling to Europe. “When I got to know about the ED raids, I posted on my social media that I would cooperate with the central agency. I stand by that,” he said. The raids occurred just two days after a similar action against AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal, who later defected with Chadha. The raid is reportedly linked to an investigation into money laundering and alleged irregularities in land deals. The timing of the raids sparked a political firestorm, with AAP leadership accusing the Centre of using the ED as a tool to pressure its leaders into defecting.
