Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched a fierce counter-offensive on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, following the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) raids on the residence and business premises of Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal. AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal characterized the federal agency’s action as the “beginning of the BJP’s election campaign in Punjab,” asserting that the central government is using investigative agencies to intimidate political opponents. Kejriwal warned that the voters of Punjab would deliver a “befitting reply” to such tactics in the upcoming electoral contests.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann echoed these sentiments, describing the ED’s move as a “typical” and predictable tactic used by the Centre to exert pressure on opposition leaders. Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia further alleged that the deployment of central agencies is a standard precursor to political mobilization by the BJP at the national level. The party’s leadership maintained that the raids are a targeted response to AAP’s growing influence and its firm stance against the central government’s policies.
The political rhetoric took a more specific turn as Delhi AAP chief Saurabh Bharadwaj and LoP Atishi raised questions about the timing of the raids. Bharadwaj pointedly linked the searches to recent internal shifts within the party, specifically Mittal’s appointment as the Deputy Leader in the Rajya Sabha—a position previously held by Raghav Chadha. He also questioned the “coincidence” of the Centre granting Chadha enhanced Z+ security cover just as his successor, Mittal, came under the scanner of federal investigators. Despite the pressure, Atishi asserted that the party remains undeterred and will continue its political mission in Punjab and beyond.
