Mamata Banerjee defends action during I-PAC raid; accuses BJP of using ED, EC as political weapons

Kolkata: Hitting out at the BJP, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday branded the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on I-PAC premises in Kolkata as an attack on her. The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo comments made these comments after a protest march against Thursday’s ED raid.

What did Mamata Banerjee say?

The TMC chief also said that such attacks only make her stronger and that she has become accustomed to them. Banerjee described Thursday’s ED raid as a rebirth for her and called the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) a tyrannical and aggressive party. She alleged that the BJP calls Bengalis Bangladeshis and that people's names have been removed from the voter list through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. 

What was Mamata’s statement against the Election Commissioner?
 
Banerjee also slammed Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the removal of names from the voters’ list. The West Bengal Chief Minister targeted the Election Commission, alleging that the BJP had ‘stolen’ the mandate in Maharashtra with its help and was now trying to do the same in Bengal by removing the names of legitimate voters through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. Mamata Banerjee announced that her party's ‘next destination’ would be the Election Commission in New Delhi, where they would protest the alleged harassment of voters during the SIR.

What are the allegations against the ED?

Mamata Banerjee alleged on Friday that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is acting as a political weapon for the ruling BJP at the Centre to steal her party's Trinamool Congress's strategies. She said that her presence at the office of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of its head, Pratik Jain, during the ED raids on Thursday was not wrong.

Addressing a rally here after a massive ten-kilometre protest march, Mamata Banerjee said that she intervened at the raid site purely as the Trinamool Congress president, not as the Chief Minister.

What does I-PAC do?

Referring to her unexpected arrival at the raid site, she said, "Whatever I did yesterday, I did as the president of the Trinamool Congress. I have not done anything illegal." I-PAC provides political consulting services to the Trinamool Congress. Banerjee alleged that the agency entered the premises early in the morning and by the time she arrived, a lot of material had already been taken away.

"You entered the premises at 6 am. I reached there at around 11:45 am. By then, many things would have been stolen," the Trinamool chief said. 

She accused the ED of trying to access her party's strategic documents ahead of the 2026 assembly elections. Banerjee, escalating her confrontation with the central government, claimed that all agencies have been compromised.

What did Mamata say against the BJP?

She accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of forcibly seizing power in several states. 

She questioned, "You seized power in Maharashtra, Haryana, and Bihar by force. Do you think you can seize power in Bengal too?" 

Banerjee said that every political attack only strengthens her resolve. 

"If someone tries to target me politically, I get renewed political energy and a new lease on life," she added.