West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to lead a protest march in Kolkata on Friday, escalating the confrontation between the state government and central investigative agencies.
The march will begin at the 8B Bus Stand and proceed to Hazra More at 2.00 pm.
The protest follows Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids conducted on Wednesday at the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC, in connection with an alleged fake government job scam. Banerjee has accused the central agency of targeting the Trinamool Congress (TMC) for political reasons.
Addressing the issue, the Chief Minister alleged that ED officials arrived early in the morning and seized party-related data. “From 6.00 am onwards, they seized our data, laptops, mobile phones and strategies. Their forensic experts transferred all the data. I believe this is a crime,” she said.
Banerjee asserted that I-PAC functions as an authorised team of the TMC and is not a private organisation. She claimed that sensitive party documents, including data related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, were confiscated despite the TMC being a registered political party that regularly files income tax returns. She also challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to contest the party democratically in West Bengal rather than using central agencies.
ED Rejects Allegations, Cites Obstruction of Investigation
The Enforcement Directorate has strongly denied the allegations of political targeting and maintained that its actions were lawful and evidence-based.
In a statement, the ED alleged that the Chief Minister entered the residential premises of Prateek Jain during the search and removed key evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices. The agency further claimed that Banerjee, accompanied by her aides and state police personnel, later went to the I-PAC office, where documents and electronic evidence were forcibly taken away.
“These actions resulted in obstruction of an ongoing investigation and proceedings under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA),” the ED said. It clarified that no political party office had been searched and that the operation was not linked to any election. “The searches are being conducted strictly in accordance with established legal safeguards,” the agency added.
According to the ED, the searches were based on a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) FIR dated November 27, 2020, relating to alleged coal smuggling from leasehold areas of Eastern Coalfields Limited.
Legal Battle Intensifies
In response to the raids, the Trinamool Congress has filed a case against the Enforcement Directorate, with a hearing scheduled for Friday. The ED has also approached the Calcutta High Court, alleging illegal interference during its search operations. The matter is expected to be heard by Justice Suvra Ghosh.
Meanwhile, the Kolkata Police have registered two cases against the ED, further deepening the institutional standoff between the state administration and the central agency.
BJP Criticises Mamata Banerjee
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has criticised Mamata Banerjee’s actions during the raids, alleging attempts to obstruct justice. In a post on X, the party said, “If there is nothing to hide in West Bengal, why would a Chief Minister rush to secure files from an official investigation site? The truth will come out, and Bengal will vote for the BJP.”
BJP leaders in the state emphasised that law enforcement agencies must be allowed to function independently and professionally, without political interference. “Any attempt to politicise lawful investigations undermines public trust in institutions and the rule of law,” the party said.
Political Mobilisation Continues
Amid the ongoing controversy, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is scheduled to visit Bongaon, a constituency with significant Matua community influence, highlighting the party’s continued electoral mobilisation.
BJP national president JP Nadda is also in West Bengal on Friday. He has held an extended organisational meeting with party functionaries and is scheduled to visit the Tata Cancer Centre and AIIMS Kalyani, signalling the BJP’s parallel outreach efforts in the state.
Coal Smuggling Probe Background
The ED has identified the Shakambhari Group, an unlisted industrial conglomerate based in West Bengal, as a major end-user of illegally mined coal. According to the agency, coal extracted illegally from Eastern Coalfields Limited areas was supplied to manufacturing units operated by the group in districts such as Bankura, Purulia and Bardhaman.
The investigation has also pointed to a layered hawala network through which proceeds of the alleged illegal activities were routed, with a portion allegedly linked to I-PAC.
.png)
The opinions posted here do not belong to 🔰www.indiansdaily.com. The author is solely responsible for the opinions.
As per the IT policy of the Central Government, insults against an individual, community, religion or country, defamatory and inflammatory remarks, obscene and vulgar language are punishable offenses. Legal action will be taken for such expressions of opinion.