Chandigarh: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, launched a series of raids at multiple locations linked to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal. The searches, which began in the early hours, targeted Mittal’s residential properties, offices, and business interests across Jalandhar, Phagwara, and Gurugram. Officials stated that the operation is part of an ongoing investigation under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) concerning alleged financial irregularities and foreign exchange violations.
Mittal, the founder-chancellor of Lovely Professional University (LPU) and a prominent businessman heading the Lovely Group, was recently appointed as the Deputy Leader of the AAP in the Rajya Sabha, replacing Raghav Chadha. The federal agency’s teams were seen at the LPU campus in Jalandhar as well as at entities including Lovely Autos and Lovely Sweets. In addition to Mittal’s own premises, the ED also searched locations associated with his family members, including his brothers Ramesh and Naresh Mittal, as they examined financial records and documents linked to the group’s diversified business interests.
The raids have triggered a sharp political reaction from the Aam Aadmi Party, which has labeled the action as “political vendetta” orchestrated by the BJP-led central government. Former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann both condemned the move on social media, suggesting that the raids are an attempt to intimidate the party ahead of the 2027 Punjab Assembly elections. CM Mann characterized the searches as a “typical Modi-style” tactic to undermine opposition leaders. Meanwhile, AAP MP Sanjay Singh has announced that he will raise the matter during the special three-day sitting of Parliament scheduled to begin tomorrow.
