West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday strongly criticized the central government and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) following raids on the offices and residence of I-PAC founder Prashant Jain. The ED conducted simultaneous searches at Jain’s Salt Lake office and his Loudon Street residence early morning, reportedly linked to an old coal smuggling case in Delhi.
Within hours of the raid, Mamata, accompanied by Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma, arrived at Jain’s residence. She emerged after a brief meeting holding a green file and addressed waiting reporters, accusing the ED action of being politically motivated. She claimed that the primary aim of the raid was to seize party data, including hard disks, rather than investigate genuine financial irregularities.
Directly targeting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Mamata asked, “Is this ED’s duty or Amit Shah’s?” She further questioned how the Centre would react if similar searches were conducted at BJP offices.
The Chief Minister also raised concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, alleging that it was being used to manipulate voter lists in West Bengal. According to her, around 1.5 crore out of 2 crore residents are being called for hearings, a move she described as unprecedented.
The raid has triggered political turmoil in the state. Opposition leader Suvendu Adhikari questioned Mamata and the police commissioner’s presence at the site and demanded accountability. Meanwhile, the ruling Trinamool Congress accused the central agencies of attempting to intimidate the state’s electorate and disrupt political processes.
Political analysts say the incident has heightened tensions between the Centre and West Bengal, signaling a possible escalation in the ongoing confrontations ahead of future elections.
