India News | Union Minister Bittu's Close Aide Arrested in Extortion Case in Punjab, BJP Leader Alleges Vendetta

Ludhiana(Punjab), Feb 10 (PTI) A close associate of Union Minister of Ravneet Singh Bittu has been arrested in an extortion case, police said on Monday.

Rajiv Raja, a former district president of the Youth Congress, is accused of attempting to extort Rs 30 lakh from a local industrialist, they said.

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Reacting to Raja's arrest, Bittu alleged that the ruling AAP in Punjab was indulging in "vendetta and revenge politics" following the BJP's decisive victory against AAP in the Delhi Assembly elections, which marked its return to power in the national capital after 27 years.

"I urge Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to refrain from targeting individuals like Rajiv Raja, who is my friend and a reputed industrialist, and is now being accused of extortion," Bittu said.

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"This is clearly an act of retaliation for the AAP's defeat in New Delhi. If Mann has the courage, he should arrest me instead of harassing small workers," the BJP leader said.

Raja had left the Youth Congress after Bittu joined the BJP in 2024. Raja did not join any political outfit.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)