ED Raids Stir Controversy Amid Political Backdrop

The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at properties linked to AAP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal under a FEMA probe in Punjab and Haryana. The raids covered educational institutions and were condemned by Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann, sparking political tension ahead of the state's Assembly elections.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday conducted simultaneous raids on several properties in Punjab and Haryana linked to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal. The operation, part of an investigation under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), targeted around 10 different locations.

The institutions under scrutiny included Lovely Professional University in Phagwara and two separate colleges in Gurugram. ED officials are examining foreign financial transactions tied to these educational entities. This comes shortly after Mittal was named the deputy leader of AAP in the Rajya Sabha, succeeding MP Raghav Chadha.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann condemned the raids, interpreting them as a politically motivated move by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the lead-up to the state's upcoming Assembly elections. AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal supported Mann's remarks in a post shared on social media platform X.

(With inputs from agencies.)