Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member Ashok Mittal, who is the president of the group, was recently elevated to the post of the party's deputy leader in the House, replacing Raghav Chadha.

The raids started around 7 am at various sites, including Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, Mittal's house and those of his brothers Ramesh and Naresh on 16, Mall Road, Jalandhar Cantonment.

Searches were also conducted at Tetr College of Business and Masters Union College of Business in Gurugram, run by MP's son Pratham.

Is Raghav Chadha behind ED raid on Ashok Mittal, wonders AAP

Sources in the ED said the searches were being conducted to check alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) by way of Foreign Direct Investment.

Ashok Mittal is the founder Chancellor of LPU, which had hosted the 2019 Indian Science Congress in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A Rajya Sabha member representing AAP since May 2022, Mittal is said to have maintained good relations with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

He had even called on the PM in August 2023 to appreciate him for introducing the National Education Policy. The MP is also serving on key committees, including defence, finance and the India-USA Parliamentary Friendship Group.

Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar on 'X' indicated that a "scholarship scam" could be behind the ED raids.

He pointed to a Rs 200-crore scam dating back to 2013-17 in which LPU's name had initially figured.

Referring to the case, Jakhar addressed Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann in his post, "…The deeds of your MLAs, ministers and MPs are becoming public each day. If your state government does not act against them, then the GoI will have to take action on corruption matters. Even the High Court has ordered an investigation into the issue of scholarship scam."

"The CM continues to distribute certificates of 'katar imandari', while the reality keeps getting exposed before the public every day," he added.