West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed strong outrage on Thursday over Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at the offices of the vote-strategy agency India Political Action Committee (I-PAC) in Salt Lake, Kolkata, as well as at the residence of I-PAC co-founder Pratik Jain in central Kolkata.
Addressing the media outside Jain’s residence on Loudon Street, Banerjee accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of orchestrating the raids, describing him as the ‘naughtiest and nastiest’ Home Minister in India.
“The ED officials were trying to confiscate the documents of my party, Trinamool Congress. I have brought them back with me. This useless Union Home Minister cannot protect the country, but he was attempting to seize my party documents through the ED,” Banerjee said.
She added that ED officials had tried to seize Jain’s mobile phone and hard drives during the operation. The Chief Minister also announced that she planned to visit I-PAC’s Salt Lake office, where the raids were ongoing.
I-PAC has been acting as the vote-strategy agency for the Trinamool Congress since 2020, ahead of the 2021 Assembly elections in West Bengal.
Opposition Hits Back
Reacting to Banerjee’s remarks and actions, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, accused the Chief Minister of interfering in the functioning of a constitutional body.
Adhikari reminded that in the past, Banerjee had allegedly obstructed CBI operations, including visits to the residence of former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar.
Suvendu Adhikari questioned why the Chief Minister was concerned about the ED raid at the office of a private corporate entity and said authorities should also take proper legal action against her.
The ED raids, which began early Thursday morning and involved personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), have sparked a heated political debate in West Bengal.
Banerjee’s direct involvement and public criticism of the Union Home Ministry have intensified tensions between the state and central governments, highlighting the ongoing friction between Trinamool Congress and the ruling BJP.
With both parties trading accusations, the situation remains a developing story as the raids continue and political leaders react across the state.
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