The Enforcement Directorate issued a statement and rubbished West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee’s allegations. It said the raids on the I-PAC premises were not targeted at any political party and were linked to a coal smuggling case.
Political uproar in West Bengal after I-PAC premises raided by ED in Kolkata (Photo: ANI)
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Centre of carrying out raids at her party’s IT office, and challenged Union Home Minister Amit Shah to “fight it out” in the upcoming Assembly Elections.
Speaking after the Enforcement Directorate carried out raids at the office of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) in Kolkata’s Salt Lake, Mamata said important party documents have been taken away in the raids.
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“Who is responsible for this? How can they raid the I-PAC office? If I raid their party’s IT office, will it be alright?” the Trinamool Congress chief said, arguing the political consultancy firm was not raided as a private entity but as an IT arm of the TMC.
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“You have crossed all the limits. You have taken all the data from our party’s IT office. Our SIR data, our party policy data, our candidate list, our booth president list, our future strategy… The I-PAC is not operating privately. They are authorised by the AITC. They work on our name according to the agreement,” Mamata said.
It may be noted that I-PAC has been working with the TMC and the West Bengal government run by it on election and political strategy since 2019. The raids today targeted the I-PAC’s office as well as its chief, Pratik Jain’s residence at Kolkata’s Loudon Street.
“Collecting data from any IT sector at any time, is it not a crime? Is it not the murder of democracy? We will wait here until I-PAC chief Pratik Jain comes here and settles all of this,” the CM, who arrived at the I-PAC office shortly after raids began earlier today, said, indicating she will not leave the premises while searches continue.
#WATCH | Kolkata | On the ED raids at the IPAC office in Kolkata, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says, “Agar Amit Shah aapko Bengal jeetna hai aur aap mein himmat hai toh aap election mein ladai karke aaiye…”
She also says, “Why did you raid our party’s IT sector and take all… pic.twitter.com/rMYlNjeNFQ
— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2026
“Agar Amit Shah, aapko Bengal jeetna hai aur aap mein himmat hai, toh aap election mein ladai karke aaiye (Amit Shah, if you want to win the election and if you have courage, then take Bengal by winning the election),” she stated further, challenging the Union Home Minister.
“I am sorry, Mr Prime Minister, please control your Home Minister. If you (BJP) cannot fight with us, then why are you coming to Bengal? Defeat us in a democratic way. You are using agencies to loot our papers, our strategy, our voters, our data, our Bengal. By doing all this, the number of seats you were getting will be reduced to zero,” she added.
Mamata further announced statewide protests today against the ED raids. Tomorrow, the TMC chairperson will personally lead a protest in Kolkata in connection with the matter.
The ED, meanwhile, rubbished the West Bengal CM’s allegations. It said the raids on the I-PAC premises were not targeted at any political party and were linked to a coal smuggling case.
While filing a case citing obstruction and hindrance to the investigation during the raids, the agency also moved the Calcutta High Court, alleging illegal interference during its search operations at I-PAC premises. Justice Suvra Ghosh of the High Court will hear the matter tomorrow.
“The search is evidence-based and is not targeted at any political establishment. The search is ongoing at 10 places (6 in West Bengal and 4 in Delhi). The case relates to illegal coal smuggling. The search covers various premises linked to the generation of cash, hawala transfer, etc, in that case. No party office has been searched,” the central agency said.
It accused the CM of taking away documents from the premises while raids were underway.
“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. Certain persons, including constitutional functionaries, have come to two premises (out of 10), intruded illegally by misusing their position, and snatched away the documents,” it added.
In a detailed statement issued separately, the ED said CM Mamata Banerjee ‘forcibly’ took away key evidences, including physical documents and electronic devices, from both the I-PAC office as well as the residence of the firm’s head, Pratik Jain.
The West Bengal BJP issued a statement and backed the ED action in the case. It said the party “reiterates its consistent and principled position that law enforcement agencies must be allowed to function independently and without political interference… Any attempt to politicise lawful investigative processes or undermine constitutional authorities only weakens public trust in institutions and the rule of law”.
The BJP further accused CM Mamata of removing evidence from the premises that were being raided.
BJP leader Rahul Sinha said, “Following a court order in connection with the coal scam, the ED raided the house of the I-PAC chief. The Chief Minister then arrived at the scene. Going to that place and taking away a file in the name of the party is a crime. The file the Chief Minister took, misusing her position, contains all the facts. By doing this, the Chief Minister committed contempt of court, obstructed the ongoing proceedings, and the file she took was not simply taken, but stolen. Mamata Banerjee should be arrested for all these crimes. We demand that Mamata Banerjee be immediately arrested and taken into custody, and that the file be seized.”
#WATCH | Purulia, West Bengal | On the ED raids at the IPAC office in Kolkata, BJP leader Rahul Sinha says, “Following a court order in connection with the coal scam, the ED raided the house of the I-PAC chief. The Chief Minister then arrived at the scene…Going to that place… pic.twitter.com/cD67BI2DKy
— ANI (@ANI) January 8, 2026
For the record, the CM was seen carrying some documents in a green folder after visiting the I-PAC office following the start of the raid, in images shared by news agencies from the ground.
Another BJP leader and West Bengal LoP Suvendu Adhikari also slammed the TMC chief and rejected her argument that I-PAC was TMC’s IT office.
“Why will the I-PAC have the voter list? I will not speak about the investigation by the ED. CM Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly disrupted the work of the central agencies. Is I-PAC a party office? I-PAC is a corporate institution, not a party office. I challenge Mamata Banerjee to conduct raids anywhere. If a raid is carried out at her residence, at least Rs 100 crore will be recovered,” he alleged.
The Congress also joined the debate, with its leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury suggesting that there was nothing wrong with I-PAC raids.
“I-PAC is a corporate entity. What does it do for Mamata Banerjee’s party? I-PAC acts as eyes and ears of the TMC. They are engaged in framing all sorts of strategies to ensure the win of the TMC and for that, they can do anything else in exchange for money,” Chowdhury said.
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