Political Turmoil Erupts Over ED Raids in Kolkata

Political Fallout from ED Raids

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at the office and residence of Pratik Jain, the head of the Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC), in Kolkata. This action sparked a political uproar that reached the national capital, Delhi, on Friday. Several leaders from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) gathered outside the office of Home Minister Amit Shah in protest. As tensions escalated, the situation turned violent, prompting police intervention, during which TMC MP Mahua Moitra was seen being taken into custody by officers. Moitra condemned the police's actions, labeling them as disgraceful, and reaffirmed her party's commitment to winning the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal.

Accusations Against the ED

Moitra accused Amit Shah of using the ED to gather intelligence on the party ahead of the elections. In a video shared by a news agency, she was heard declaring, 'We will win in Bengal, no matter what they do.' Alongside Moitra, TMC MP Derek O'Brien was also detained by Delhi police during the protests. This demonstration by TMC members followed a dramatic confrontation between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the ED, which had raided the premises of IPAC's chief just a day prior.

Mamata Banerjee's Response

Banerjee stated that Pratik Jain leads the TMC's IT cell and alleged that the ED's raid aimed to seize crucial documents and data related to the party ahead of the elections in Bengal. During the raid, she reportedly arrived at Jain's premises and claimed, 'They (the ED) are seizing my party's documents and hard disks, which contain details about our candidates for the assembly elections. I have retrieved them.'