The Enforcement Directorate conducted raids at multiple premises linked to Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP and Deputy Leader of the Upper House Dr Ashok Kumar Mittal in connection with an alleged violation of the Foreign Exchange Management Act, officials confirmed — with AAP claiming the raids were underway at Mittal’s residence in Jalandhar.
The timing and political context of the ED action are immediately significant. Mittal was recently appointed deputy leader of the AAP Rajya Sabha, replacing Raghav Chadha in that role — making him one of the party’s most senior parliamentary figures at the moment the agency moved against him. ED actions against opposition MPs have consistently been characterised by AAP and other opposition parties as politically motivated use of central agencies, a charge the BJP-led central government has consistently denied.
Who is Ashok Kumar Mittal
Dr Ashok Kumar Mittal is the founder and chancellor of Lovely Professional University in Phagwara, Punjab — one of India’s largest private universities by enrollment, with over 30,000 students and a significant presence in the higher education landscape of northern India. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Punjab on an AAP ticket, bringing an education sector background to the upper house. His appointment as deputy leader of the AAP Rajya Sabha group following Raghav Chadha’s demotion within the party’s parliamentary hierarchy placed him at the centre of AAP’s upper house strategy at a moment when the party is navigating significant internal and external political pressures.
The FEMA angle
The Enforcement Directorate’s jurisdiction in this case is the Foreign Exchange Management Act — a civil law that governs cross-border financial transactions, foreign investment, and foreign exchange dealings by Indian entities and individuals. FEMA violations can involve overseas remittances, foreign direct investment structures, external commercial borrowings, or transactions with foreign entities that do not comply with Reserve Bank of India regulations.
For an individual associated with a large private university — an institution that may have international students, foreign collaborations, overseas campuses or offices, and cross-border financial relationships — FEMA compliance is a substantively complex area. The specific nature of the alleged FEMA violation has not been detailed in official disclosures at the time of this report.
AAP’s response
AAP’s claim that ED raids are underway at Mittal’s Jalandhar residence frames the action as an attack on its parliamentary leadership rather than a legitimate law enforcement action — a standard political response the party has deployed consistently each time central agencies have acted against AAP-linked figures. AAP has maintained throughout its time in government and opposition that the ED, CBI, and Income Tax Department have been weaponised against it specifically, pointing to the arrest of former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and several other senior AAP leaders in recent years as evidence of a pattern.
The BJP has rejected these characterisations on every occasion, maintaining that central agencies act independently on the basis of evidence and that the law applies equally regardless of political affiliation.
The broader political context
The ED action against Mittal comes at a moment when AAP is already managing significant internal pressures — Raghav Chadha’s demotion from the deputy leadership position that Mittal now occupies was itself a signal of internal party tensions that have not been fully resolved. An ED raid on the newly appointed deputy leader immediately after his elevation adds a layer of external pressure to an already stressed party structure.
For Punjab, where AAP governs under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the ED action in Jalandhar against one of the state’s Rajya Sabha MPs will be read through the lens of centre-state political tension that has characterised BJP-AAP relations across every state where AAP has held power.
Business Upturn will update this article as further details of the FEMA allegations and Mittal’s response become available.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. The ED raids and FEMA allegations have not been adjudicated. All individuals and entities named are entitled to the presumption of innocence. Business Upturn is not responsible for any decisions made based on this article.