Mamata Banerjee Alleges Political Strategy Theft Amid I-PAC Raids; ED Claims Obstruction

High-Drama Standoff Over I-PAC Raids: Mamata Banerjee Alleges Political Vendetta, ED Says Probe Obstructed.

Kolkata/Delhi — The Enforcement Directorate’s multi-city raids in West Bengal and Delhi have escalated into a major political confrontation between the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the BJP-led Centre. The searches, targeting key I-PAC offices and senior party strategists, have sparked claims of political vendetta and allegations of obstruction of justice.

Key Developments

1. Multi-City Crackdown: The ED conducted simultaneous searches at 10 locations across West Bengal and Delhi. The agency stated the operations are part of a money laundering investigation linked to a coal smuggling syndicate allegedly led by Anup Majee, involving illegal extraction from Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) leasehold areas.

2. Focus on I-PAC and Pratik Jain: Among the primary targets were the Salt Lake office of I-PAC and the residence of its chief, Pratik Jain, who oversees the TMC’s IT operations and election strategy.

3. Mamata Banerjee’s Direct Intervention: In a dramatic escalation, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally visited the raid sites, accompanied by senior police and state officials, resulting in a tense standoff with ED personnel.

4. Alleged Evidence Seizure: The ED claimed that Banerjee and state police forcibly removed physical and electronic documents, including hard drives, from two premises, allegedly disrupting the ongoing probe.

5. Political Vendetta Claims: Banerjee denounced the raids as a “nasty attempt at political vendetta,” accusing the Centre of targeting her party’s IT office and sensitive strategy data to sabotage election preparations. A formal complaint against the ED has been filed at Bidhannagar Police Station.

6. Targeting Amit Shah: Banerjee criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah, calling him the “naughtiest and nastiest” Home Minister and questioning the role of a central agency in collecting a rival party’s internal documents.

7. SIR and Voter List Controversy: Linking the raids to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Banerjee alleged that while voter names were being deleted, the ED was being used to “loot party information.” She announced a protest march, detailing the route across Kolkata neighborhoods.

8. ED’s Stand: The agency clarified that the operations are evidence-based, unrelated to elections or political parties, and part of a standard money laundering probe.

9. Political Reactions:

Akhilesh Yadav hailed the events as a sign of BJP’s weakening in Bengal.

Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition in Bengal, condemned Banerjee’s intervention as unconstitutional obstruction, demanding legal action for interfering with a federal probe. He also questioned the legality of I-PAC holding voter lists and sensitive party data.