DW BUREAU / chandigarh Several Punjab MLAs on Tuesday raised in the Assembly the issue of raids conducted by the ED on legislator Sukhpal Singh Khaira and described the move as "political intimidation." With members of the House demanding that the ED raid should be "condemned", one of the legislators even suggested that the central agency should not be allowed to carry out its operation without permission of the Punjab government. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the premises of rebel AAP MLA from Punjab Khaira, his family members in Delhi and some jailed convicts on Tuesday in a money-laundering case linked to the 2015 Fazilka narcotics trafficking case and a fake passport racket, officials said. In the ongoing budget session of the Punjab Assembly here, rebel Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MLA Parminder Singh Dhindsa took up the issue of the raid on Khaira and alleged that it was a case of "political intimidation" as he raised the issue of the death of farmer Navreet Singh during the Republic Day tractor parade. Dhindsa also accused the Centre of using the ED as its "tool against those who speak against it." "We should condemn this," said Dhindsa while demanding a resolution over this issue. Supporting Dhindsa over the raid, Punjab minister Charanjit Singh Channi termed the ED action as "completely wrong." He sought a resolution to "condemn" the raid on a legislator, alleging the Centre was trying to suppress the voice of people who speak in support of farmers' agitation. "It is a condemnable action of the Centre," alleged Channi. If somebody raises voice of farmers, can they suppress the same with such raids, asked Channi while appealing to the House to raise voice against such act. Rebel AAP MLA Kanwar Sandhu dubbed the raid as "unfortunate" and said it amounted to "interference in the functioning" of the House while questioning the timing of the raid. "We should take serious notice of it (raid)" Sandhu told the members of the House. He asked whether the ED took the Speaker and the state government into confidence before carrying out this raid and said that the action of the Centre was intended to "penalize" Khaira for raising the voice in support of farmers. Kharar legislator Sandhu said whenever the ED intends to conduct a raid, it should not be allowed without the permission of the state government and a resolution over the same should be brought in the House. SAD legislator Sharanjit Singh Dhillon also termed the ED raid on Khaira as "completely wrong." The ED raided the premises of rebel AAP MLA from Punjab Sukhpal Singh Khaira, his family members in Delhi and some jailed convicts on Tuesday in a money-laundering case linked to the 2015 Fazilka narcotics trafficking case and a fake passport racket, officials said. The MLA, president of the Punjab Ekta Party founded by him in 2019, denied any wrongdoing as he briefly spoke to reporters, who had gathered outside his bungalow number 6 in Chandigarh's sector 5. The central agency searched a dozen locations -- Khaira's residence, nine places in Punjab and two in Delhi -- including the house of his son-in-law, Inderveer Singh Johal. The agency alleged that Khaira (56), the MLA from Bholath in Kapurthala district, is an "associate" of the drugs racket convicts and fake passport racketeers. Khaira was elected to the state Assembly in 2017 on an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) ticket, but he later quit the party. (editor@dailyworld.in)