India, April 16 -- A raid by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on multiple business premises linked to its newly appointed Rajya Sabha deputy leader, Ashok Mittal, in Punjab, under the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), has ignited a firestorm.

The raids, as per the ED, were conducted in the premises of the targeted entities connected to the Lovely Group, owned by Mittal, including Lovely Professional University (LPU) in Phagwara, Lovely Autos and other sites in Jalandhar and Gurugram.

Here, the optics are damaging. Raids on a freshly elevated leader, coupled with Raghav Chadha's security upgrade from the Centre, fuel narratives of collusion, even if unproven.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was quick to question the timing of the raid and d...