The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday conducted searches at multiple premises linked to Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal, just days after he replaced Raghav Chadha as the party’s deputy leader in the Upper House, triggering a fresh political storm within the party.

According to officials, the searches were carried out at locations associated with Mittal as part of an ongoing probe, intensifying scrutiny around the AAP leader. The development has come at a politically sensitive time, with internal tensions already surfacing within the party ranks.

Reacting sharply to the raids, AAP spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar alleged that the action was politically motivated and launched a direct attack on both the Bharatiya Janata Party and Raghav Chadha. Speaking to ANI, she claimed the searches were carried out at Chadha’s instance following his reported meeting with a senior BJP leader.

Calling the episode “extremely unfortunate,” Kakkar accused Chadha of turning against the very party that, she said, played a crucial role in his political rise. She also remarked that he should remember the support extended by AAP and party chief Arvind Kejriwal in his journey from activism to Parliament, describing the alleged actions as “reprehensible.”

The raids have added to speculation of an internal rift within the party, especially amid recent developments involving Chadha. In a parallel move, the Punjab government withdrew the Z+ security cover earlier provided to him, further fuelling talk of growing differences within AAP.

As the investigation progresses, the political fallout from the ED action is expected to deepen, with both the legal and internal party dimensions likely to unfold in the coming days.