West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday accused the Centre of pursuing political vendetta and misusing central agencies ahead of elections, after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at multiple locations, including the residence of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain.
Reacting sharply to the action, Banerjee questioned the role of the ED and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, alleging that party documents and data were being seized under the guise of investigation.
She also linked the searches to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the State, claiming that voter names were being deleted as part of an election-related strategy.
“..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 asked.
“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 added. Banerjee made the remarks after visiting I-PAC’s Salt Lake office amid the ED raids.
She said, “I dare BJP to fight us politically if they want to win Bengal. TMC registered political party, pays income tax; Centre cannot bulldoze us using money and muscle power.”
The BJP responded by accusing the Chief Minister of interfering in a central agency investigation.
Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, termed Banerjee’s visit to the residence of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain during the ED raid as “unconstitutional” and “direct interference” in the probe.
Adhikari said the ED should take action against the Chief Minister, alleging that her presence, along with that of the Kolkata Police Commissioner, was unethical and improper while the search was underway at Jain’s Loudon Street residence.
He also pointed out that I-PAC manages the Trinamool Congress’ IT cell and drew parallels with an earlier incident in which Banerjee had visited the official residence of then Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar during a CBI raid.
The development comes after the ED conducted raids at the residences of IT heads of various political parties, including TMC’s I-PAC chief Prateek Jain.
Officials said searches were carried out at 15 locations in connection with a fake government job scam allegedly run by an organised gang that duped people by promising employment.
