West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her displeasure over Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids at the office of India Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the home of I-PAC’s co-founder, Pratik Jain in Kolkata. She accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of orchestrating the raids, calling him the “naughtiest and nastiest” home minister. The Chief Minister, accompanied by Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma, visited Jain’s residence following the simultaneous ED operations.
Banerjee retrieved party documents seized by ED officials, alleging they were targeting her party, Trinamool Congress. She criticized the Home Minister for attempting to confiscate party documents and Jain’s electronic devices. Banerjee announced her intention to visit I-PAC’s Salt Lake office, which has also been subjected to ED raids. I-PAC has been serving as Trinamool Congress’ vote-strategy agency since 2020.
In response to Banerjee’s actions, Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, accused her of interfering with a constitutional body’s operations. Adhikari referenced a past incident involving the CBI and highlighted the need for legal action against the Chief Minister for obstructing ED’s activities. He questioned Banerjee’s concerns regarding the ED raid on a private corporate entity.
