The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided premises linked to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal on Wednesday (April 15), just days after his appointment as the party’s Deputy Leader in the Upper House, replacing Raghav Chadha. The searches targeted his home, Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Jalandhar and business entities.

ED’s raids on Ashok Mittal’s premises ignite accusations of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) weaponising agencies ahead of Punjab assembly elections in 2027. Occurring days after Ashok Mittal replaced Raghav Chadha as Deputy Leader, the FEMA probe spans 10 locations including his Jalandhar home and Lovely Professional University.

AAP leaders framed the action as BJP’s pre-election ploy ahead of Punjab elections. Officials have confirmed searches at around 10 locations in Jalandhar, Phagwara and Gurgaon, focusing on alleged FEMA violations tied to Mittal’s university group.

Arvind Kejriwal vows Punjab’s ‘befitting reply’

AAP national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of electioneering. “Modi ji has started preparations for the elections in Punjab. But the people of Punjab will not tolerate this. They will give a befitting reply to the BJP,” he posted on X. The timing, days after Mittal’s promotion, fueled claims of political vendetta against AAP’s rising Punjab leadership.

Bhagwant Mann warns BJP to ‘stay within limits’

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann likened the raids to Modi’s “typical style.” “BJP begins preparations for Punjab elections. ED raids at the home and university of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal… We are not the leaves that will fall after breaking from the branch; tell the storms to stay within their limits,” he wrote on X. Mann positioned Punjab’s resilience against central agency pressure.

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Manish Sisodia calls ED PM Modi’s ‘election army’

Former Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia described a pattern and said, “Whenever elections are held in any state, PM Modi ji sends the first contingent of his election army- ED and CBI. The drama of conducting raids unfolds. Then the force that incites riots goes. After that, there are visits by Amit Shah and Modi ji.” He added, “But Modi ji, please keep this in mind- this is Punjab. Yahan Babasaheb and Bhagat Singh se nafrat karne waalon ki daal nahi galane waali.”

Who is Ashok Mittal?

Ashok Kumar Mittal, a 61-year-old businessman and educationist heading the Lovely Group, became AAP’s Rajya Sabha Deputy Leader from Punjab just days before the raids. Elected to Rajya Sabha in April, he serves on key committees including Defence, Finance and the India-USA Parliamentary Friendship Group and joined an all-party delegation post-Pahalgam terror attack.

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Sanjay Singh to raise this matter in Parliament

AAP MP Sanjay Singh vowed to spotlight the issue during Parliament’s three-day special session starting April 16. “Wherever elections are held, the BJP uses its own agencies. This sudden and massive attack on Ashok Mittal is an example of the same game. Everyone is standing together strongly and I will try to raise this issue in the session too.” He claimed PM Modi’s declining popularity forces agency misuse, predicting failure in Punjab.

AAP portrays the raids as part of BJP’s strategy to weaken opposition before Punjab’s 2027 assembly elections, echoing past ED and CBI actions against party leaders. With Mittal’s recent elevation replacing Raghav Chadha, the party sees it as targeted harassment of Punjab’s AAP bastion.