Ashok Mittal has come into the spotlight after the Aam Aadmi Party named him its deputy leader of Rajya Sabha, replacing Raghav Chadha after his shocking removal on Thursday. The move sparked opposition allegations of internal party rift with Bharatiya Janata Party accusing the party of following a “use and throw” policy, and Congress calling it an unhealthy for the democracy.
AAP had written a letter to the Rajya Sabha Secretariat seeking the removal of Raghav Chadha and replacing him with Ashok Mittal as a deputy leader in Upper House, sources told news agency PTI.
Who Is Ashok Mittal?
Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Kumar Mittal, a native of Jalandhar, Punjab, is the Founder Chancellor of Lovely Professional University (LPU).
He completed his law degree from Guru Nanak Dev University and completed honorary Doctorate ‘Honoris Causa’ from Atal Bihari Vajpayee University (ABVU) in Chhattisgarh, as per bio uploaded on his website.
He entered into the politics in 2022 after securing a notable success in the Rajya Sabha electoral process from Punjab.
Mittal has raised his perspectives on India’s economic situation and developments in the education sector. In Parliament, he has participated in discussions on issues such as human trafficking and the economic challenges faced by farmers in Punjab. He has also engaged in debates on legislative matters, including the Shopkeepers Welfare Bill and the Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2022.
Mittal has in the past received accolades such as the Indian Red Cross Award, Punjab Gaurav Award, Shiksha Ratan Award, National Education Excellence Awards, among others, per the bio.
He is now moving ahead with the position of deputy leader of Rajya Sabha. While accepting the position, Mittal said that he will fulfil whatever responsibilities the party assigns him, whether it involves participating in debates within the House or articulating the party’s stance in Parliament and the Rajya Sabha in the manner prescribed by the party leadership.
