West Bengal: ED raids on I-PAC spark TMC-BJP war of words on day of SC hearing

A sharp political confrontation erupted in West Bengal on Thursday over the Enforcement Directorate’s raids at the premises of political consultancy firm I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee), with the ruling TMC (Trinamool Congress) alleging political vendetta ahead of elections and the BJP accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of repeatedly obstructing central agencies.

The exchange came as the Supreme Court described the ED’s allegation that Banerjee caused “obstruction” during the raid as “very serious” and agreed to examine whether a state’s law-enforcement agencies can interfere with investigations conducted by central agencies into serious offences.

TMC alleges ‘political search’

TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said the party would refrain from commenting on the legal technicalities of the case, leaving it to senior counsel, but maintained that the ED action was politically motivated.

“Our stand is clear. This case was registered in 2020. Five or six years have passed. What were they doing all these years? Why wake up just before elections?” Ghosh asked, questioning the timing of the raids at the residence and office of I-PAC director Pratik Jain.

He pointed out that when the case was first registered, election strategist Prashant Kishor was associated with the party, but no action was taken then.

“Why Pratik Jain now? Because he is helping structure our election campaign. Our planning, data and strategy may be in his office. This is not investigation — this is political search,” Ghosh alleged.

Accusing the BJP of misusing central agencies, he said the ED was being deployed to “divert, access or disrupt” the TMC’s campaign machinery.

“Our leader Mamata Banerjee has opposed this firmly and will protect the party’s interests. People of Bengal understand what is happening,” he said.

BJP hits back, alleges interference

The BJP countered sharply, with Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accusing the chief minister of making “unacceptable and unforgivable” attempts to obstruct the functioning of constitutional institutions.

Shekhawat alleged that Banerjee personally rushed to the I-PAC office during the ED raid and that senior police officers reached the spot even before her, amounting to deliberate interference.

“Political differences are natural in a democracy, but undermining constitutional institutions is an assault on the very soul of India,” he said.

The Union minister recalled a 2019 episode when Banerjee went to the residence of the then Kolkata Police Commissioner during a CBI raid.

“A sitting chief minister physically intervening to obstruct a central agency’s investigation was perhaps the first such instance in the country,” he claimed, adding that similar patterns had been seen in subsequent cases, including Sandeshkhali.

Shekhawat alleged that large-scale corruption in centrally funded schemes in West Bengal had repeatedly come under scrutiny, and that the state government had consistently tried to influence or block investigations.

“These acts are wholly unacceptable,” he said.

Supreme Court steps in

The political slugfest unfolded against the backdrop of judicial intervention. The Supreme Court has stayed the FIR filed in West Bengal against ED officials who conducted the raids on January 8 and directed the state police to preserve CCTV footage of the operation.

The apex court also agreed to examine the ED’s contention that state authorities cannot interfere in investigations carried out by central agencies, describing the allegation of obstruction by a chief minister as a matter of serious constitutional concern.

The ED has accused Banerjee of causing disruption during its operation at the I-PAC office and Jain’s residence, an allegation the TMC strongly denies.

With assembly elections approaching in West Bengal, the confrontation has taken on clear political overtones. The TMC insists the raids are designed to intimidate the party and disrupt its election preparations, while the BJP maintains that the chief minister is shielding those under investigation and weakening institutions.

As the legal battle moves to the Supreme Court and political rhetoric escalates on the ground, the ED raids on I-PAC have become the latest flashpoint in the widening centre-state conflict in Bengal — one that now carries constitutional, political and electoral stakes.

With PTI inputs