In a development steeped in political controversy, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday conducted a raid at the residence of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Durgesh Pathak, sparking a fresh war of words between AAP and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). AAP leaders have denounced the move as a “politically motivated” attempt to stifle the party’s growing influence.
The raid, reportedly linked to an alleged violation of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA), came just days after Durgesh Pathak was appointed as co-incharge for the Gujarat Assembly Elections 2027. Reacting swiftly, AAP’s national general secretary Sandeep Pathak posted on X (formerly Twitter):
“The CBI’s raid on @AamAadmiParty leader Durgesh Pathak’s residence… sends a loud message that BJP clearly views AAP as a growing threat in Gujarat and is rattled by its rising influence.”
Joining the chorus, AAP MP Sanjay Singh accused the Modi government of using central agencies as tools of political vendetta.
“BJP’s dirty game starts again… As soon as @ipathak25 was made co-incharge of Gujarat, CBI was sent to threaten him,” Singh wrote on X.
The controversy is compounded by another enforcement action earlier this week when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the Mohali residence of AAP MLA Kulwant Singh, as part of a money laundering investigation tied to the massive ₹48,000 crore Pearl Agrotech Corporation Limited (PACL) scam.
The ED team, reportedly from Delhi, searched Singh’s premises in the Janta Land Promoters Limited (JLPL) area, which is linked to his real estate business. Although Singh was not present, his family members were questioned. Sources say the raid is connected to the larger PACL Ponzi scheme, which allegedly defrauded thousands of investors under the pretext of real estate projects. Funds collected through the scam were reportedly funneled into shell companies across India.
Adding further complexity, Kulwant Singh had previously been questioned by the ED in another money laundering case involving drug trafficking.
These back-to-back raids on AAP leaders—at a time when the party is expanding its political footprint beyond Delhi and Punjab—have led to renewed allegations of misuse of central agencies to suppress political opponents. As the Gujarat 2027 battle heats up, the confrontation between AAP and BJP is poised to intensify, with each side accusing the other of foul play.
