Agencies ‘weaponised’, says Abhishek Banerjee after ED raids

Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha MP Abhishek Banerjee on Friday accused the Union government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of misusing central investigative agencies to influence the political process, breaking his silence a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids linked to the India Political Action Committee (I-PAC) in Kolkata.

Banerjee’s remarks came after several Trinamool MPs from both Houses of Parliament were stopped and detained by the Delhi Police while staging a protest outside the Union Home Ministry in the national capital. The protest was aimed at condemning the ED’s search operations carried out on Thursday at I-PAC’s Salt Lake office and at the residence of its co-founder, Pratik Jain, in central Kolkata.

Reacting on social media, Banerjee launched a sharp attack on the Centre, alleging that investigative agencies were being “weaponised” to manipulate elections and suppress dissent.

“Democracy is punished. Criminals are rewarded. Agencies are weaponised. Elections are manipulated,” he wrote, adding that Bengal would resist what he described as political intimidation. He shared images of detained party MPs along with posts issued by the Trinamool Congress criticising the BJP-led government.

Notably, Banerjee had refrained from commenting on the raids on Thursday, even while attending a scheduled programme in Malda district and interacting with the media. His intervention on Friday marked his first public response to the developments.

The Trinamool Congress has escalated its political offensive, portraying the ED’s actions and the detention of its MPs as part of a broader attempt to silence opposition voices. The party has accused the Centre of selectively targeting political rivals while shielding others.

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had not reacted publicly to the detention of the MPs at the time of reporting. She is, however, expected to lead a protest rally against the ED’s actions later in the day, where further comments on the issue are anticipated.

Abhishek Banerjee is scheduled to address a public meeting in Nadia district, raising expectations that he may expand on his allegations and outline the party’s next course of action as tensions between the Trinamool Congress and the Centre continue to intensify.

With IANS input