Mamata Banerjee's Outrage Over ED Raids: A Political Showdown in Kolkata

West Bengal CM Reacts to Enforcement Directorate Actions

Kolkata: On Thursday, Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, voiced her frustration regarding the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) raids at the India Political Action Committee (I-PAC) office in Salt Lake and the residence of co-founder Pratik Jain in central Kolkata. These operations began early in the morning and involved personnel from the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF).

Banerjee accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of orchestrating these actions, labeling him as the 'naughtiest and nastiest' home minister in the nation.

Upon learning about the simultaneous raids, Banerjee, along with Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma, visited Jain's residence in the afternoon. After a brief stay inside, she emerged to address the media, criticizing both the ED and Shah.

"The ED was attempting to seize documents belonging to my party, the Trinamool Congress. I managed to retrieve them. This ineffective Union Home Minister is incapable of safeguarding the country, yet he seeks to confiscate my party's documents through the ED. I contacted Pratik, and the ED officials were trying to take his mobile phone and hard drives," she stated.

Banerjee also announced her intention to visit the I-PAC office in Salt Lake, where the raids were ongoing. I-PAC has been serving as the vote-strategy agency for the Trinamool Congress since 2020, prior to the last Assembly elections in West Bengal in 2021.

In response to Banerjee's remarks and actions, Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, accused her of attempting to interfere with a constitutional body. He recalled past incidents where Banerjee obstructed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) during their operations, suggesting that legal action should be taken against her for her interference.

"Why is she concerned about the ED's raid on a private corporate entity?" Adhikari questioned.