The Enforcement Directorate is reportedly conducting raids on the Lovely Professional University campus in Phagwara. The Lovely Group is owned by AAP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal, who recently replaced fellow leader Raghav Chadha as deputy leader of the party’s Rajya Sabha. Ashok Kumar Mittal is the founder and chancellor of LPU and owns the university along with his brothers Ramesh Mittal and Naresh Mittal.
The ED raids were carried out by the Central Investigation Agency’s Jalandhar and Chandigarh teams, against business entities associated with the Lovely Group. Apart from LPU, research was also conducted at Teter Business School and MBA College, Gurgaon.
“Search operations are also on at the residential building of AAP MP Ashok Mittal,” an official said, adding that all the buildings raided were linked to the Lovely Group.
The ED action is related to the investigation into alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), and raids were conducted early on Wednesday morning. “The federal agency did not seek any help from the local police,” an official told HT.
Not only the LPU campus, raids were also carried out on sweet shops, fine cars and a distance learning center owned by the group, besides the homes of the owners, including Ashok Mittal.
Ashok Mittal gets a key position in AAP
The ED’s raids on properties linked to Ashok Mittal come days after he was elevated to the prominent position of deputy leader of the Rajya Sabha by the RJD, replacing Raghav Chadha.
Mittal is a law graduate from Guru Nanak Dev University and a chartered accountant by profession. He is among the seven Rajya Sabha members that AAP has in the Rajya Sabha.
While Raghav Chadha’s removal from the Rajya Sabha chief post has sparked controversies within the party, Mittal said the development was routine. “Raghav Chadha is our senior leader and will continue to remain so. I have taken over from him just as he took over from ND Gupta earlier. AAP is a democratic party and believes in giving opportunities to different leaders to raise important issues,” the AAP MP said.
Kejriwal, Bhagwant Man criticized the BJP
Soon after the ED raided premises linked to the Lovely Group in Punjab, the AAP launched an attack on the BJP-led government, terming the probe agency’s work as “preparation” ahead of the Punjab elections.
Vowing a strong response to the CEO’s actions, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “Modi has started preparations for elections in Punjab. But the people of Punjab will not tolerate this. They will give a befitting response to the BJP.”
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also criticized the raids. “Raiding the emergency department of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal’s home and university… typical Modi style,” Mann said in X’s post.
