Mamata Banerjee Slams ED Raids on I-PAC as ‘Politically Motivated’, Sparks High-Voltage Confrontation in Kolkata

Chief Minister alleges seizure of Trinamool Congress strategy documents amid fake job scam probe; ED denies political targeting and moves Calcutta High Court over alleged interference

KalimNews with inputs from Agencies, January 8, 2026, Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched a fierce attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Union government and Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at multiple locations in Kolkata, including the office of political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of its co-founder Pratik Jain, as part of a nationwide investigation into an alleged fake government job scam and associated money laundering.

The ED said the searches, conducted at around 15 locations across India, were aimed at dismantling an organised network accused of cheating job aspirants by promising fraudulent government appointments. In Kolkata, the action included the I-PAC office in Salt Lake’s Sector V and Jain’s residence on Loudon Street in central Kolkata.

Soon after news of the raids broke, a visibly angry Mamata Banerjee, accompanied by West Bengal Director General of Police Rajiv Kumar and Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma, arrived at Pratik Jain’s residence while search operations were still underway. Brushing aside media queries, the Chief Minister was later seen emerging from the premises carrying files, a hard disk, a laptop and Jain’s mobile phone, triggering sharp reactions from the opposition and the central agency.

Addressing reporters thereafter, Banerjee alleged that the ED had seized sensitive Trinamool Congress (TMC) party documents, including internal strategy papers and candidate-related information. Accusing the Centre of using central agencies to target her party ahead of elections, she said, “Is it the duty of the ED, Amit Shah, to collect the party’s hard disk, candidate list, party strategy and party plan? The nasty, naughty Home Minister who cannot protect the country is taking away all my party documents. What will be the result if I raid the BJP party office?”

She further alleged that the raids were linked to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. “On one side, they are deleting the names of voters through SIR, and on the other, they are collecting all information about my party because of the elections,” she said, warning that such actions would only reduce the BJP’s seat count in the state to zero. Appealing directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Banerjee added, “I am sorry, Mr Prime Minister, please control your Home Minister.”

High drama continued as the Chief Minister proceeded to I-PAC’s corporate office in Salt Lake Sector V, where Kolkata Police personnel were seen transferring files and documents into her vehicle. Banerjee reiterated that I-PAC was not a private entity but an authorised team working for the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC), and claimed that the ED had unlawfully seized party-related data, laptops, mobile phones and documents, including information connected to the SIR process, despite the TMC being a registered political party that regularly submits income tax returns. She described the alleged transfer of data by forensic experts during the raid as a “crime” and challenged Amit Shah to fight the TMC democratically in Bengal.

In a strongly worded statement, the Trinamool Congress condemned the ED action as a “deliberate and politically motivated conspiracy” orchestrated by the BJP to destabilise West Bengal. “Unable to fight democratically, the BJP is now using the ED as a weapon, trying to forcibly seize party documents, internal strategies, candidate-related details and crucial papers,” the party said, alleging that the raids were carried out on the instructions of an “authoritarian Home Minister”. The statement added, “Hon’ble Chairperson Mamata Banerjee has made it absolutely clear that this conspiracy will be resisted at every step and will never be allowed to succeed.” The Chief Minister also announced that she would lead a protest in Kolkata on January 9 against the ED raids.

The ED, however, rejected allegations of political vendetta and said the searches were evidence-based and conducted strictly in accordance with legal safeguards. In a statement, the agency alleged that its proceedings were “peaceful and professional” until the arrival of the Chief Minister along with a large number of police officials. “Ms Banerjee entered the residential premises of Pratik Jain and took away key evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices,” the ED claimed, adding that such actions amounted to obstruction of an ongoing investigation.

The agency clarified that no party office had been searched and that the action was not linked to elections but was part of a regular crackdown on money laundering. It further claimed that I-PAC was one of the entities linked to hawala money and that the investigation involved the generation of cash and illegal transfers. Following the incident, the ED approached the Calcutta High Court, alleging illegal interference and the forcible removal of documents and electronic evidence from two raided premises. The matter is scheduled to be heard by Justice Suvra Ghosh on Friday.

The developments drew sharp reactions from the BJP. In a post on social media platform X, the party said Banerjee’s actions raised “disturbing questions” and pointed to a “deeper conspiracy”. “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 asked, asserting that the truth would eventually emerge and that Bengal would “vote for the BJP”. Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, termed Banerjee’s presence at a site under active search “unethical, unconstitutional and a direct interference” in a central agency’s probe.

The political confrontation unfolded against the backdrop of Banerjee’s earlier attack on the Election Commission of India over the SIR exercise. Speaking at a public meeting at Gangasagar on January 5, she alleged that around 54 lakh voter names had been deleted in South 24 Parganas district alone, accused the Commission of misusing artificial intelligence, and derisively referred to it as a “WhatsApp Commission”. She also took a personal jibe at Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, calling him “Vanish Kumar”, and warned that if people’s rights were made to “vanish”, those responsible would face consequences. Banerjee reiterated that there would be “no detention camps in West Bengal” and said her government was prepared to approach the Supreme Court to protect voters’ rights.

As tensions escalated on Thursday, Banerjee maintained that central agencies were being misused to intimidate political opponents. “If you cannot defeat us democratically, why are you coming to Bengal? You are using agencies to seize our data, our strategy and our voters,” she said. The ED, for its part, reiterated that the searches were not targeted at any political establishment and that allegations of political motivation were baseless, even as the confrontation set the stage for further legal and political battles in the days ahead.