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ED raids at Punjab's Lovely Professional University, owned by AAP MP who replaced Raghav Chadha in Rajya Sabha
The Lovely Group is owned by AAP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal, who recently replaced fellow leader Raghav Chadha as the party's Rajya Sabha deputy leader.
The Enforcement Directorate is reportedly carrying out raids at the campus of the Lovely Professional University in Phagwara. The Lovely Group is owned by AAP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal, who recently replaced fellow leader Raghav Chadha as the party's Rajya Sabha deputy leader. Ashok Kumar Mittal is the founder and chancellor at LPU and owns the university alongwith his brothers Ramesh Mittal and Naresh Mittal.
The ED raids were conducted by the central probe agency's Jalandhar and Chandigarh teams, against business entities linked to the Lovely Group. Apart from LPU, the Tetr College of Business and Masters union College of Business in Gurgaon was also searched.
“The residential premise of AAP MP Ashok Mittal is also being covered in searches,” an official said, adding that all the premises being raided were linked to the Lovely Group.
The ED action is related to investigation into alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), and raids were launched early in the morning on Wednesday. “The federal agency has sought no assistance from the local police,” an official told HT.
Not just the university campus of LPU, raids are also being carried out at sweets shops, lovely autos and a distance education centre owned by the group, along with the homes of owners, which includes Ashok Mittal.
Ashok Mittal gets key post in AAP
The ED raids on properties linked to Ashok Mittal come days after he was elevated to a prominent position of Rajya Sabha deputy leader by the AAP, 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 the AAP has in Rajya Sabha.
While Raghav Chadha's removal from the key Rajya Sabha post threw open the frictions within the party, Mittal had said that 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 had said.
Kejriwal, Bhagwant Mann hit out at BJP
Shortly after the ED began raids premises linked to the Lovely Group in Punjab, the AAP launched an attack on the BJP-led government, calling the probe agency action a “preparation” ahead of Punjab elections.
Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal vowed a strong response to the ED action and said: “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.”
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann also criticised the raids. “ED raids at the home and university of AAP Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Mittal..typical Modi style..,” Mann said in an X post.
