ED vs Mamata: Bengal CM Accuses I-PAC of Leaked Plans, Agency Says Probe Blocked

Mamata Banerjee Clashes with ED Over I-PAC Raids, Alleges Political Vendetta.

Kolkata/Delhi — A massive standoff erupted on Tuesday as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at multiple locations across West Bengal and Delhi, targeting the I-PAC offices and the residence of its chief strategist Pratik Jain, who oversees the TMC’s IT and election operations.

The ED said the searches 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.

Key Developments

Mamata’s Direct Intervention: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally visited the raid sites, accompanied by state officials and police, resulting in a tense confrontation with ED officers.

Alleged Evidence Removal: The ED claimed Banerjee and state authorities forcibly removed documents and hard disks, obstructing the investigation.

Political Vendetta Allegations: Banerjee accused the Centre of using the ED to sabotage TMC’s election strategy, calling the raids “nasty” and filing a complaint at Bidhannagar Police Station.

Targeting Amit Shah: The Chief Minister criticized Union Home Minister Amit Shah, accusing him of misusing central agencies to collect her party’s internal data.

Voter List Controversy: Banerjee linked the raids to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that while voter names were being deleted, the ED was being used to seize party information. She announced a protest march across Kolkata, personally joining the demonstration.

ED Response: The agency maintained the operations are evidence-based and unrelated to elections, reiterating that the crackdown is part of a standard money laundering probe.

Political Reactions:

Akhilesh Yadav called the events a sign of BJP losing ground in Bengal.

Suvendu Adhikari, Leader of the Opposition, condemned Banerjee’s actions as obstruction of justice and questioned the legality of I-PAC holding sensitive voter and party data.