High political drama unfolded in West Bengal on Thursday after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the offices of political consultancy firm I-PAC even as the Enforcement Directorate was conducting search operations in connection with the coal smuggling case.
Questioning the ED's actions, Banerjee alleged that the central agency had seized party-related materials, including hard disks, candidate lists and strategic documents, and accused Union Home Minister Amit Shah of misusing central agencies. "Is it the duty of the ED, Amit Shah, to collect the party's hard disk, candidate list? The nasty, naughty Home Minister who cannot protect the country is taking away all my party documents," Banerjee said while speaking to reporters.
Issuing a direct challenge to the BJP and Amit Shah, the Chief Minister dared him to come to West Bengal and fight her democratically. "If Amit Shah wants Bengal, then come, fight democratically, and win. Everyone must know what kind of operation has been carried out. Starting at 6:00 a.m., they arrived and seized the party's data, laptops, strategies and mobile phones. Their forensic experts transferred all the data. I believe this is a crime," she said.
Banerjee asserted that I-PAC was not a private organisation but an authorised team working for the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). She alleged that the ED had confiscated sensitive documents, including data linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. "This is not a private organisation. This is the authorised team of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). They looted all papers and data, including a large amount of information related to SIR. We are a registered political party. We submit our income tax regularly. If the ED requires any information, they can obtain it from the Income Tax Department. Why was there a raid on our party's IT department?" Banerjee asked.
Countering the Chief Minister's allegations, the ED accused Mamata Banerjee of entering the residential premises of Prateek Jain, director of I-PAC, during the ongoing search operation and taking away "key evidence", including physical documents and electronic devices. In a statement, the agency said search proceedings were being conducted "in a peaceful and professional manner" until the Chief Minister arrived along with a large number of police officials.
"Banerjee entered the residential premises of Prateek Jain and took away key evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices," the ED said, adding that her convoy then proceeded to I-PAC's office, from where "Ms Banerjee, her aides and the state police personnel forcibly removed physical documents and electronic evidence."
The agency said these actions resulted in obstruction of an ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). Clarifying its position, the ED said, "The search is evidence-based and is not targeted at any political establishment. No party office has been searched. The search is not linked to any elections and is part of a regular crackdown on money laundering. The search is conducted strictly in accordance with established legal safeguards."
It added that persons linked to the generation of coal smuggling proceeds, hawala operators and handlers were covered in the PMLA searches conducted on January 8, 2026. "I-PAC is also one of the entities linked to hawala money. During today's action, six premises in West Bengal and four premises in Delhi are covered," the agency said.
The ED also stated that senior Kolkata Police officials, including the Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Kolkata, the officer in charge of Sarani Police Station and later the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, entered the premises and were briefed about the proceedings by the authorised officer.
Meanwhile, the ED has moved the Calcutta High Court alleging illegal interference during its search operations. As per sources, the matter is scheduled to be heard by Justice Suvra Ghosh on Friday, and the agency has also filed a case citing obstruction and hindrance to the investigation during the raids.
This development in West Bengal has led to a sharp face-off between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.
The BJP mounted a sharp attack on Mamata Banerjee, alleging that her actions raised "disturbing questions." In a post on X, the party said the sight of a sitting Chief Minister rushing to an investigation site to secure party documents and hard disks suggested an attempt to hide incriminating evidence.
"If there is nothing to hide in West Bengal, why would a Chief Minister scramble to secure files from an official investigation site?" the BJP said, adding that Bengal would "vote for the BJP."
BJP MP Sanjay Jaiswal also alleged irregularities involving I-PAC and its founder, Prashant Kishor. Speaking to ANI, Jaiswal said, "There has been fraud in IPAC. Even before the Bihar elections, IPAC has been giving money to the Jan Suraaj Party. During the Bihar elections, more than Rs 60 crore was given to Prashant Kishor by I-PAC to defeat us. I would like to thank the ED for raiding the correct place. All frauds of Prashant Kishor and IPAC should be unveiled."
On the other hand, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh led party workers and leaders in a protest in Kolkata against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), after ED conducted raids at the I-PAC office.
Addressing the media during the protest, Ghosh alleged a political conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and claimed that the central agencies were being misused to target the ruling party in West Bengal ahead of elections. "When the 'vote chhor' BJP saw that its 'vote chori' is failing, they hatched this conspiracy of 'data chori'," he said, questioning the timing of the probe. "I-PAC is an adviser to us, and today an attempt has been made to steal the data and blueprint regarding our campaign," Ghosh added.
Amid allegations and counter-allegations between the BJP and TMC over Mamata Banerjee "entering" I-PAC chief Pratik Jain's residence in Kolkata amid ED raids on the premises in connection with a coal smuggling case, state Governor CV Ananda Bose has said that a "constitutional functionary is expected to facilitate implementation of the Constitution".
The Governor told ANI that preventing a public servant from the due discharge of his public functions is an offence under the BNS, and intimidating or threatening a public servant from doing his duty is a graver offence.
Amid the escalating BJP versus TMC showdown, Mamata Banerjee is set to lead a protest in Kolkata on January 9 against the ED raids, as West Bengal gears up for elections in the first half of this year.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
