The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids on Wednesday at multiple premises linked to Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal across Punjab and Haryana, as part of a Foreign Exchange Management Act investigation into overseas financial transactions connected to his educational institutions, according top ANI and PTI reports.
What the ED Is Investigating
, and two linked institutions- Tetr College of Business and Masters Union College of Business- both located in Gurugram.
ED officials said the agency is examining certain overseas financial transactions connected to these educational institutions as part of its ongoing FEMA probe.
Who Is Ashok Kumar Mittal?
Ashok Mittal, 61, is a Rajya Sabha MP from Punjab, first elected to the upper house in April 2022. He serves as Chancellor of Lovely Professional University and was recently appointed Deputy Leader of the AAP in the Rajya Sabha, succeeding MP Raghav Chadha in the role.
During his parliamentary tenure, Ashok Mittal has been a member of several key committees, including the Committee on Defence and the Committee on Finance. In February 2026, he was appointed to the India-US Parliamentary Friendship Group. He was also part of an all-party delegation- led by DMK MP Kanimozhi – that visited Russia, Latvia, Slovenia, Greece, and Spain following the Pahalgam terror attack.
AAP Calls It Political Targeting Ahead of Punjab Elections
The raids drew an immediate and sharp response from AAP leaders, who framed the action as politically motivated ahead of the 2027 Punjab Legislative Assembly elections.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was among the first to respond, posting on X: “BJP begins preparations for Punjab elections. ED raids at the home and university of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal. Typical Modi style. We are not the leaves that will fall after breaking from the branch; tell the storms to stay within their limits.”
AAP national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal echoed the sentiment, writing: “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.”
Former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia drew a broader pattern, arguing that central agencies are routinely deployed before state elections.
“Whenever elections are held in any state, 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,” Sisodia wrote.
He added: “But Modi ji, please keep this in mind – this is Punjab. Yahan Babasaheb and Bhagat Singh se nafrat karne walo ki dal nahi galane wali (Those who hate Babasaheb and Bhagat Singh, won’t succeed here).”
AAP to Raise Issue in Parliament
AAP MP Sanjay Singh said he intends to raise the matter during the three-day special sitting of Parliament, which is scheduled to begin on 16 April.
“Wherever elections are held, the BJP uses its own agencies. PM Modi’s popularity has waned across the country. Now his only option is to misuse the ED, CBI, and the Election Commission to win elections. This formula of the BJP will not work in Punjab. The 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. These people will play many such games before the Punjab elections,” Singh told ANI.
(With agency inputs)
