Mamata Banerjee Leads Protest Rally After Dramatic ED Showdown, Slams ‘Naughty’ Home Minister Over I-PAC Raid

A day after a dramatic standoff with the Enforcement Directorate (ED) during searches at the Kolkata office and residence of political consultancy firm I-PAC, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is set to lead a protest rally on Friday.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo announced the march in protest against the ED raids, alleging they were aimed at “looting” her party’s documents ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Banerjee is expected to lead the rally from Jadavpur 8B bus stand to Hazra crossing, a distance of over 5 km, and has urged party workers and supporters to participate.

Banerjee said Pratik Jain, chief of I-PAC, was in charge of the TMC’s IT operations and alleged the raids were part of a “political vendetta”. She claimed the central agency was attempting to access sensitive party data, including election strategies and organisational information.

ED–Mamata Face-off in Kolkata

Tensions escalated on Thursday when Banerjee reached Jain’s residence while ED officials were conducting searches linked to a money-laundering probe into an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam, according to PTI.

Both sides offered sharply different versions of events. The ED accused Banerjee of storming into the premises and taking away key evidence. Banerjee, however, alleged that ED officials had seized the TMC’s hard disks, financial records and political documents.

“If they attack us over SIR, frame false cases or try to steal our documents, should I not resist?” Banerjee said, defending her intervention.

Visuals from the scene showed Banerjee pushing past media and security personnel as she entered Jain’s office, where ED officials were present. In later remarks, she accused the agency of targeting her party just months before elections.

“They raided the residence of our IT chief and were confiscating party documents and hard disks containing details of our candidates. I have brought those back,” she was quoted as saying by PTI.

She later alleged that the ED had “stolen” party data, including voter and strategy-related information, and said such actions routinely occur before elections.

Political Attack on Centre

Banerjee accused the BJP-led Centre of misusing investigative agencies and sharply criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah, calling him “naughty” and accusing him of intimidation through central agencies.

“This is not law enforcement,” she said, urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rein in his Home Minister and challenge the TMC “in a democratic way”.

“You are using agencies to loot our papers, our strategy, our voters, our data, our Bengal,” Banerjee said, warning that such actions would backfire electorally.

Television footage from Thursday showed confusion outside Jain’s residence, with individuals seen carrying files amid heavy media presence. Banerjee was also seen holding documents as she addressed reporters, alleging an attempt by the ED to seize sensitive organisational material.

The ED has not issued a detailed response to Banerjee’s allegations.