. NEW DELHI: Several Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, including MPs Mahua Moitra and Derek O’Brien, were detained by Delhi police on Friday while protesting outside Union home minister Amit Shah’s residence and office. The protest was staged against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids conducted at the office of the political consultancy firm I-PAC in Kolkata on Thursday. BJP Targets Mamata Banerjee Over ED Raid At I-PAC, Alleges Evidence Tampering TMC MPs gathered with placards reading “Bengal rejects Modi-Shah’s dirty politics”, highlighting their opposition to the ED action, which they termed politically motivated and aimed at intimidating the party ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.Speaking to the media during the protest, Mahua Moitra said, “Yesterday, entire India, Bengal witnessed how ED was misused by the Home Ministry. The ED was sent to steal our party’s political, strategic information. Mamata Banerjee is a lioness, she protected our party’s properties.”TMC MP Kirti Azad added, “They are acting undemocratically; even the raid was illegal. They loot and accuse us of scams. They took away our strategy and candidate lists. BJP’s internal survey shows they won’t get more than 25 seats. But Mamata Banerjee will secure a massive mandate as CM and go on to become the Prime Minister.”The protest comes ahead of a planned march in Delhi led by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Banerjee will lead the march from Jadavpur 8B Bus Stand to Hazra More at 2 pm to protest the ED raids, news agency PTI reported.The raids at I-PAC offices targeted two locations in Kolkata on Thursday. Apart from providing political consultancy to TMC, I-PAC manages the party’s IT and media operations, making the action sensitive for the party’s electoral preparations. Banerjee visited the I-PAC premises during the ongoing search, accusing the central agency of attempting to seize internal documents, hard disks, and digital data linked to the party’s election strategy.The TMC has described the ED action as politically motivated harassment, intensifying the standoff between the ruling party in West Bengal and the Union government ahead of the assembly elections.ED raids I-PAC-linked locations; Mamata alleges political vendettaOn Thursday, ED conducted searches at multiple locations, including the residence of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain.Reacting sharply to the raids, CM Banerjee accused the Centre of pursuing a political vendetta and misusing central agencies ahead of elections. She alleged that party documents, hard disks and sensitive data were being seized under the guise of an investigation.Questioning the role of the ED and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Banerjee said, “Is it the duty of the ED, Amit Shah to collect the party’s hard disk, candidate list?… The nasty, naughty Home Minister who cannot protect the country and is taking away all my party documents. What will be the result if I raid the BJP party office?”She also linked the agency action to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal, alleging that voter names were being deleted ahead of the polls. “On one side, they are deleting the names of all the voters by carrying out the SIR in West Bengal…Because of the elections, they are collecting all the information about my party,” she said. Banerjee further dared the BJP to fight the TMC politically if it wanted to win Bengal.Banerjee visited I-PAC’s Salt Lake office during the searches, asserting that the Trinamool Congress is a registered political party that pays income tax and cannot be “bulldozed using money and muscle power”.The BJP hit back at the chief minister, accusing her of interfering in a central agency probe. Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari termed Banerjee’s visit to Pratik Jain’s residence during the ED raid as “unconstitutional” and alleged it amounted to direct interference in the investigation.Adhikari further said the ED should take action against the chief minister, claiming her presence along with that of the Kolkata police commissioner, was improper while the search was underway.Officials said the ED raids were conducted at 15 locations in connection with a fake government job scam, allegedly run by an organised gang that duped people by promising employment. About the AuthorTOI News DeskThe TOI News Desk comprises a dedicated and tireless team of journalists who operate around the clock to deliver the most current and comprehensive news and updates to the readers of The Times of India worldwide. With an unwavering commitment to excellence in journalism, our team is at the forefront of gathering, verifying, and presenting breaking news, in-depth analysis, and insightful reports on a wide range of topics. The TOI News Desk is your trusted source for staying informed and connected to the ever-evolving global landscape, ensuring that our readers are equipped with the latest developments that matter most.”Read MoreEnd of ArticleFollow Us On Social MediaVideos‘India Will Not Be Anybody’s Vassal’: Macron’s Remark During Jaishankar Meet Reshapes World OMeet Tina Shah, The Indian American Doctor Running For US Congress in New Jersey Democratic RaceBJP Targets Mamata Banerjee Over ED Raid At I-PAC, Alleges Evidence TamperingFrom Op Sindoor To Venezuela: How Chinese Air Defence And Radar Systems Continue To Fail NationsDipu Das Lynching: Bangladesh Police Arrest Man Who Incited Mob As Attacks Against Hindus ContinueFrance Ditches Global South, Collective West As Jaishankar Warns Europe Of Changing World Order’Naughty, Nasty HM’: Mamata Slams Amit Shah After ED Raids TMC Leader Amid SIR RowPM Modi Launches ‘Somnath Swabhiman Parv’, Recalls Centuries-Old Resolve Behind Temple’s Revival“US Using Tariffs To Pressure India” Sareen Slams Trump Over Russia Sanction BillDonald Trump Pulls US Out Of India-Led Solar Alliance In Sweeping Exit From 66 Global Agencies123Photostories5 manifestation mistakes and how to fix themHow to make South Indian Upma for breakfastFarhan Akhtar birthday special: ‘Dil Chahta Hai’ ,‘Rock On!!’ to ‘Toofaan’, 5 inspiring films to stream on OTTFrom Nayanthara to Sai Pallavi: Kasavu saree inspiration from South Indian actresses for Pongal 2026How to deal with difficult people without losing your cool: 5 effective psychology-based tipsBirthday Special: Farhan Akhtar’s movies to watch on OTTFarhan Akhtar’s social media moments with wife and kids10 smart and comforting sooji dishes to enjoy for breakfastExclusive: Viraj Bahl on the public admiration he’s been getting due to Shark Tank India; says ‘I still feel embarrassed when people ask me for selfies’‘Toxic’: Kiara Advani, Nayanthara to Rukmini Vasanth: Meet the leading ladies of Yash’s highly anticipated comeback film123Hot PicksMinneapolis Woman ShootMaharashtra civic pollsGold rate todayUAE citizenshipCigarette price hikePublic holidays January 2026Bank Holidays JanuaryTop TrendingCandace OwensTommy Fleetwood and Clare Fleetwood Net WorthTravis KelceBrandon TatumQuinn HutsonRic Flair Net Worth in 2025Rashee RiceMarshon Lattimore ArrestAnthony EdwardsStefon Diggs
NEW DELHI: Several Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, including MPs Mahua Moitra and Derek O’Brien, were detained by Delhi police on Friday while protesting outside Union home minister Amit Shah’s residence and office. The protest was staged against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids conducted at the office of the political consultancy firm I-PAC in Kolkata on Thursday.
TMC MPs gathered with placards reading “Bengal rejects Modi-Shah’s dirty politics”, highlighting their opposition to the ED action, which they termed politically motivated and aimed at intimidating the party ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.Speaking to the media during the protest, Mahua Moitra said, “Yesterday, entire India, Bengal witnessed how ED was misused by the Home Ministry. The ED was sent to steal our party’s political, strategic information. Mamata Banerjee is a lioness, she protected our party’s properties.”TMC MP Kirti Azad added, “They are acting undemocratically; even the raid was illegal. They loot and accuse us of scams. They took away our strategy and candidate lists. BJP’s internal survey shows they won’t get more than 25 seats. But Mamata Banerjee will secure a massive mandate as CM and go on to become the Prime Minister.”The protest comes ahead of a planned march in Delhi led by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Banerjee will lead the march from Jadavpur 8B Bus Stand to Hazra More at 2 pm to protest the ED raids, news agency PTI reported.The raids at I-PAC offices targeted two locations in Kolkata on Thursday. Apart from providing political consultancy to TMC, I-PAC manages the party’s IT and media operations, making the action sensitive for the party’s electoral preparations. Banerjee visited the I-PAC premises during the ongoing search, accusing the central agency of attempting to seize internal documents, hard disks, and digital data linked to the party’s election strategy.The TMC has described the ED action as politically motivated harassment, intensifying the standoff between the ruling party in West Bengal and the Union government ahead of the assembly elections.
ED raids I-PAC-linked locations; Mamata alleges political vendetta
On Thursday, ED conducted searches at multiple locations, including the residence of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain.Reacting sharply to the raids, CM Banerjee accused the Centre of pursuing a political vendetta and misusing central agencies ahead of elections. She alleged that party documents, hard disks and sensitive data were being seized under the guise of an investigation.Questioning the role of the ED and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Banerjee said, “Is it the duty of the ED, Amit Shah to collect the party’s hard disk, candidate list?… The nasty, naughty Home Minister who cannot protect the country and is taking away all my party documents. What will be the result if I raid the BJP party office?”She also linked the agency action to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal, alleging that voter names were being deleted ahead of the polls. “On one side, they are deleting the names of all the voters by carrying out the SIR in West Bengal…Because of the elections, they are collecting all the information about my party,” she said. Banerjee further dared the BJP to fight the TMC politically if it wanted to win Bengal.Banerjee visited I-PAC’s Salt Lake office during the searches, asserting that the Trinamool Congress is a registered political party that pays income tax and cannot be “bulldozed using money and muscle power”.The BJP hit back at the chief minister, accusing her of interfering in a central agency probe. Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari termed Banerjee’s visit to Pratik Jain’s residence during the ED raid as “unconstitutional” and alleged it amounted to direct interference in the investigation.Adhikari further said the ED should take action against the chief minister, claiming her presence along with that of the Kolkata police commissioner, was improper while the search was underway.Officials said the ED raids were conducted at 15 locations in connection with a fake government job scam, allegedly run by an organised gang that duped people by promising employment.
