Dramatic Confrontation in Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee Rushes to I-PAC Chief’s Residence Amid ED Raids
West Bengal CM accuses central agency of targeting TMC’s sensitive data; BJP slams ‘unconstitutional interference’ in probe
Kolkata, January 8, 2026: High-voltage political drama unfolded in Kolkata on Thursday as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally arrived at the residence of Pratik Jain, head of political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), during ongoing Enforcement Directorate (ED) searches.
Banerjee, emerging from Jain’s Loudon Street home carrying a green folder, alleged that ED officials were attempting to confiscate Trinamool Congress (TMC) hard disks, candidate lists, internal strategy documents, and other sensitive party data ahead of upcoming elections.
“They raided the house of our IT cell in-charge. ED was taking away my party’s documents, hard disks with details of candidates. I have recovered them,” Banerjee told reporters, launching a scathing attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah. “Is it the ED’s job to collect political party data? This is pure political vendetta.”
She later proceeded to I-PAC’s Sector-V office in Salt Lake, where additional raids were underway, accompanied by senior police officials including Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma.
The ED raids, part of a money laundering investigation linked to alleged financial irregularities, also covered multiple locations. Sources indicate the probe traces proceeds of crime potentially routed through hawala networks to I-PAC entities.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly condemned Banerjee’s intervention. Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari described her actions as “unconstitutional and direct interference” in a central agency’s investigation, demanding legal action against the Chief Minister.
Adhikari highlighted Banerjee’s history of disrupting probes by federal agencies and questioned why TMC documents were stored with a private consultancy firm. BJP leaders further alleged that her rushed visit and removal of files pointed to efforts to obstruct evidence collection in a serious case involving potential illicit funds.
The ED maintained that the searches were evidence-based and unrelated to elections, rejecting claims of political targeting.
Tensions escalated as TMC announced statewide protests against the raids, while the episode intensified the ongoing Centre-state rift in poll-bound West Bengal.
