ED raids I-PAC's premises in Kolkata, Mamata alleges theft of TMC’s voter data

ED raids

The ED searched two locations — the residence of Pratik Jain, a senior I-PAC functionary, in central Kolkata, and the firm’s office at Godrej Waterside in Salt Lake’s Sector. Jain, a co-founder of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), and head of TMC’s IT cell.

Jain is widely considered to be the key member of Banerjee’s poll strategy team.

As the news of the raids spread, TMC leaders gathered outside the Salt Lake office, with the Bidhannagar Police Commissioner also arriving at the spot amid rising tension.

Rare intervention and a green file

West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee arrived at Jain’s residence while the searches were under way, a rare intervention that immediately sharpened political tensions.

After a brief stay, Banerjee was seen leaving with a single green file, triggering widespread political speculation.

State director general of police Rajeev Kumar accompanied her, and security was tightened as documents were transferred from the I-PAC office to the chief minister’s vehicle. Paramilitary forces and Kolkata Police were deployed at both sites, officials said.

Speaking to reporters, Banerjee said the file contained confidential party material, including candidate lists and campaign strategy documents, and alleged that the ED was attempting to seize internal Trinamool Congress data ahead of elections.

'No link to financial probe'

Banerjee, who visited both sites, accused the ED of seizing confidential party material and trying to access the ruling party's internal strategy. She pointed out that such information had no link to any financial probe.

Also read: Abhishek Banerjee alleges vote theft through rolls, slams CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Calling the action a “crime,” she termed it as a “murder of democracy.”

“They have stolen our entire election strategy. All our papers and information have been looted. They (BJP) do not have the courage to fight politically, so they have come down to looting,” she alleged.

Banerjee directly warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying she would maintain political courtesy but would not tolerate “intimidation.”

“Do not mistake my courtesy for weakness. Will you loot everything of mine and expect me to remain silent?” she said, adding that the prime minister should “control” the Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Mamata slams Amit Shah

“It is most unfortunate that the ED came to collect candidate lists, party strategy and plans, and confidential documents,” she told reporters, alleging Union Home Minister Amit Shah was behind the action. She alleged that the ED raid was aimed at accessing her party's internal political material.

“They are trying to take our party’s hard disk, strategy and plans. Is it the duty of the ED to collect political parties’ documents?” the chief minister asked, launching a sharp attack on Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Calling the exercise an act of intimidation, Banerjee said, “This is not law enforcement, this is political vendetta. The home minister is behaving like the nastiest home minister, not someone who protects the country.”

'Gang of robbers'

Targeting Shah, she questioned whether it was his duty to get seized documents of Opposition parties. "If I were to conduct a search at the BJP’s party office, what would happen then?” she asked.

Also read: Bengal SIR: Mamata alleges political bias, lack of clarity, administrative chaos

Terming the BJP a “gang of robbers,” the TMC supremo said the ED was being used as a political weapon to steal Opposition strategies ahead of elections.

She further announced that she would sit outside the I-PAC office for as long as the search continued and also called for statewide protest marches against what she described as “loot” by central agencies.

The CM also linked the raids to the ongoing SIR process in the state, alleging large-scale harassment of citizens. She claimed that millions of people were being summoned for hearings and that the names of over five million voters had been removed.

“Even after all this, they know they cannot win, so our strategy has been stolen,” Banerjee said.

Banerjee maintained that the ED’s action was politically motivated and aimed solely at undermining her party ahead of crucial electoral battles.

No statement from ED

The exact nature of the searches and details of the case being probed were not immediately clear. There was no official statement from the ED or the I-PAC till the filing of this report.

Banerjee questioned the legality of the move, warning, “If I get BJP party documents, what will be the result?” She claimed documents were taken without safeguards and linked the raid to other cases where names were allegedly deleted.

"The nasty and naughty Home Minister who cannot keep the country safe is behind this. Amit Shah wants to collect our party's candidate list," she said, adding that names were being deleted in one case while documents were being taken in another.

“On one side there is the SIR case where names are being deleted, and on the other, they are collecting documents," she said.

Questioning the legality of the move, Banerjee asked whether it was the ED's mandate to seize political material. "Is it the duty of the ED and the home minister to collect candidate lists, party strategy and party plans?” she said.

'Unconstitutional', says BJP

Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari termed Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's visit to IPAC chief Pratik Jain's house during the ED raid on Thursday as "unconstitutional and interference" in the central agency's probe.

He said that the ED should take steps against the chief minister.

"I feel that the chief minister and the Kolkata police commissioner's visit was unethical, unconstitutional and direct interference in the central agency's investigation," Adhikari told reporters soon after their visit to Jain's residence at Loudon Street here, as an Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid was going on there.

The BJP leader said that Banerjee had gone to the then Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar's official residence during a CBI raid there.

TMC protests

Meanwhile, the raids triggered immediate political fallout in West Bengal, with the TMC launching protests, accusing the central government of misusing investigative agencies for political ends.