ED Raids Linked To AAP MP’s Punjab Group
The Enforcement Directorate on April 15 carried out searches at multiple premises linked to Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal and the Lovely Group in Punjab and Gurugram as part of a probe under the Foreign Exchange Management Act. The action has quickly turned into a political flashpoint in Punjab because Mittal was recently appointed the party’s deputy leader in the Rajya Sabha, replacing Raghav Chadha.
ED Raids Ashok Mittal Linked Premises
Officials said the searches were conducted at 8 to 9 locations, including business premises, residential properties and a farmhouse associated with Mittal and his family. Premises linked to his son and other family members were also covered during the operation. The searches reportedly extended to Jalandhar and Phagwara in Punjab as well as Gurugram.
Lovely Professional University Under Scanner
The ED action targeted multiple entities associated with the Lovely Group, including Lovely Professional University, Lovely Autos, Lovely Sweets and the Lovely Distance Education Centre. Teams were also present at the LPU campus, where documents and financial records were examined as part of the ongoing inquiry. The probe is said to relate to suspected irregularities in financial transactions and fund flows.
FEMA Probe Triggers Political Row
The case is being investigated under FEMA, which deals with foreign exchange violations and cross-border fund movement issues. Soon after the raids, the Aam Aadmi Party accused the BJP-led Centre of using central agencies to target opposition leaders ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections due next year.
AAP Calls Raids Politically Motivated
AAP leaders including Arvind Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann and Sanjay Singh criticised the searches and linked them to electoral politics in Punjab. Party leaders alleged that the raids were part of a wider pattern of pressure against opposition figures. The ED action has therefore become both a financial investigation and a politically charged development at a crucial time for Punjab politics.
