High drama in Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee confronts ED during I-PAC raids, agency moves court

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday took her political battle directly to the doorstep of central agencies, confronting the Enforcement Directorate as it carried out searches linked to an alleged fake government job scam — and triggering a sharp institutional clash that quickly spilled into the courts.

In a dramatic escalation, Banerjee reached the Kolkata offices of Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) while the ED was conducting raids, openly questioning the agency’s actions and accusing the Centre of misusing investigative bodies ahead of elections.

“Is it the duty of the ED, Amit Shah, to collect my party’s hard disk and candidate list?” Banerjee said, launching a direct attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“The nasty, naughty Home Minister who cannot protect the country is taking away all my party documents,” she added.

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The ED, however, accused the Chief Minister of overstepping her constitutional authority. In a strongly worded statement, the agency said Banerjee entered the residence of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain while searches were under way and removed documents and electronic devices. According to the ED, her convoy later proceeded to the I-PAC office, from where files and digital material were allegedly taken away in the presence of police.

“A person holding a constitutional post misused her authority to take away files,” the ED said, insisting the searches were based on “credible evidence” and were not politically motivated.

Soon after the confrontation, the ED approached the Calcutta High Court, seeking judicial intervention. Sources said the matter was mentioned before Justice Suvra Ghosh, with a hearing likely on Friday.

The agency said it was conducting searches at 15 locations across West Bengal and Delhi as part of its probe into an organised network allegedly duping candidates with fake government job promises. The ED also claimed the raids were linked to hawala transactions and coal smuggling investigations, and had “nothing to do with elections.”

Banerjee rejected the ED’s version, alleging the raids were aimed at stealing Trinamool Congress election strategy. She warned that similar action against BJP offices would provoke a strong response and claimed voter names were being deleted from electoral rolls through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

“Because elections are coming, they are collecting all the information about my party,” she said.

Earlier this week, Banerjee had accused the Election Commission of deleting lakhs of voter names in South 24 Parganas district, calling it a “WhatsApp Commission” and warning of legal action, including moving the Supreme Court.

The Chief Minister’s actions drew sharp criticism from the Opposition. BJP leader Swapan Dasgupta accused Banerjee of placing herself “above the Constitution and rule of law,” while Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari demanded the ED lodge an FIR against her.

West Bengal Congress president Shubhankar Sarkar questioned how the Chief Minister could remove files from a private organisation while a central agency raid was in progress. “Under what law was this allowed?” he asked, suggesting political collusion.

With West Bengal set to go to the polls later this year, the episode has sharpened an already polarised political climate. Banerjee’s decision to physically confront the ED has energised Trinamool cadres while giving the BJP and Congress fresh ammunition to question institutional boundaries and rule of law.

-- With ANI inputs