The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly criticized West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her behavior during an Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe. BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Banerjee of trespassing into a private property under investigation and threatening the officials. Prasad suggested that Banerjee’s actions were an attempt to shield herself and her party members from legal consequences.
Prasad highlighted that Banerjee’s conduct was unprecedented in Independent India’s history. He mentioned that Banerjee interfered with the ED’s search at the residence of an individual linked to money laundering and took away documents. The ED was conducting raids related to the coal smuggling scam and hawala transactions based on complaints against a consultancy firm led by Prateek Jain.
The BJP leader questioned Banerjee’s opposition to the ED’s actions against a private agency accused of money laundering. He recalled previous instances where Banerjee allegedly obstructed investigations by central agencies like the CBI and ED. Prasad emphasized a pattern of interference by Banerjee in various probes, indicating a consistent effort to impede legal processes.
The ED’s raids at the residence of I-PAC chief stirred political tensions in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Banerjee and the Trinamool Congress accused the BJP of targeting her party unjustly, while the BJP countered by accusing Banerjee of undermining democracy.
