Jalandhar, October 8, 2026: Jalandhar BJP district president Ashok Sareen Hicky has launched a sharp political attack on Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann following the CBI investigation into alleged corruption involving individuals linked with the Chief Minister’s establishment.
Reacting to the controversy, Hicky said, “Bhagwant Mann’s ‘tu-tu’ on corruption has now resulted in ‘thu-thu’ across Punjab,” using a wordplay to allege that the state government’s public claims of fighting corruption have been damaged by the latest investigation.
The remarks come after the Central Bureau of Investigation registered a case involving Punjab Chief Minister’s OSD Rajbir Singh Ghuman and other individuals in connection with alleged corruption and misuse of influence in administrative matters.
The CBI action followed directions issued by the Punjab and Haryana High Court. Investigators subsequently carried out searches at eight locations in Punjab and Chandigarh, including a camp office connected with the Chief Minister’s establishment. The allegations under investigation include suspected influence in matters involving postings, tenders, licences and other administrative decisions.
Hicky alleged that the developments have raised serious questions over the Aam Aadmi Party government’s repeated claims of providing an honest and corruption-free administration in Punjab.
The BJP leader said the Mann government had frequently projected action against corruption as one of its central governance priorities, but claimed that the latest investigation had now put the government itself under political scrutiny.
He maintained that responsibility for addressing the allegations rests with the state government and said the people of Punjab deserve clear answers regarding the accusations being investigated by the CBI.
The allegations in the CBI case, however, remain under investigation and have not been established by a court. Registration of an FIR and investigative searches do not amount to a finding of guilt against any individual named or examined in the case.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has rejected the political narrative being built around the CBI action and alleged that central investigating agencies are being used against his government as Punjab moves closer to the next Assembly elections.
Mann has argued that the timing of the action indicates that political preparations for the elections have begun and has accused the BJP-led central government of attempting to target the AAP administration through investigative agencies.
BJP leaders have rejected that allegation, pointing out that the CBI investigation was initiated following an order of the Punjab and Haryana High Court rather than through a direct political instruction from the central government.
The dispute has therefore developed on two parallel tracks. While the CBI continues its investigation into the allegations, the ruling AAP and opposition BJP are engaged in an increasingly sharp political exchange over the origin and significance of the probe.
Hicky said the latest episode should be viewed against the government’s own repeated promises of zero tolerance towards corruption and argued that the administration must now demonstrate the same transparency when allegations concern individuals associated with its own establishment.
The investigation remains ongoing, and any criminal responsibility will ultimately depend on the evidence collected by the CBI and its examination through the judicial process.
For now, the CBI action has become a major political issue in Punjab, with opposition leaders using the investigation to question the Mann government’s anti-corruption credentials while AAP continues to describe the developments as politically motivated.
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