Income-Tax Raids Target Key Trinamool Figures in Kolkata, Mamata Banerjee Launches Scathing Attack on BJP
In a dramatic escalation of political tensions just days before West Bengal heads to the polls, Income-tax officials conducted coordinated raids on Friday targeting two prominent figures associated with the ruling Trinamool Congress. The operations focused on Debashis Kumar, the party's candidate for the Rashbehari constituency, and Miraj Shah, a businessman who served as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's proposer during her nomination filing. The raids have ignited a fiery response from the CM, who lambasted the Bharatiya Janata Party as "cowards and spineless" and accused them of fearing electoral defeat.
Early Morning Raids and Protests Unfold Across Kolkata
The day began with a team of I-T officers arriving at Debashis Kumar's residence on Manoharpukur Road at 5 am. According to local residents, Central Armed Police Force personnel scaled a locked gate to gain entry and knock on Kumar's door. The I-T officials followed, initiating an exhaustive search and interrogation session that lasted nearly 15 hours. Simultaneously, multiple other teams fanned out across the city:
- A second team raided Kumar's election office located just meters away.
- A third team targeted the flat of Kumar's mother-in-law in the neighborhood.
- A fourth team conducted searches at the Trinamool party office on Motilal Nehru Road.
- A fifth team raided the residence of Kumar's close associate, Kumar Saha, in Kalighat.
As news of the raids spread, Trinamool workers gathered in large numbers and staged protests at the sites. A lawyer attempting to enter Kumar's house was denied access by central forces, and Rakesh Kamath, Kumar's agent who arrived to collect documents for poll expenditure submissions due that day, was also stopped by jawans.
Mamata Banerjee's Fiery Condemnation Across Election Rallies
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee responded with vehement criticism throughout her election rallies, labeling the raids a "shameless and brazen act" by those who "cannot fight from the front." She emphasized, "Ballots, and not bullets, win polls," directly challenging the BJP. In Cooch Behar, she accused the BJP of sitting in Bengal with hawala money while targeting her candidates, even alleging attempts to search her plane.
At a meeting in Dum Dum, Banerjee questioned the BJP's courage, stating, "Doesn't BJP have the courage to fight directly? Contesting elections is a constitutional right. Keeping a candidate detained the whole day is infringing on that right." She vowed to pursue legal action to the fullest extent and attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for repeatedly "misusing" central agencies, claiming they have turned each agency into a BJP worker.
Targets of the Raids Respond and Background Details Emerge
After the I-T team departed around 8 pm, Debashis Kumar commented, "Frankly, I don't know what they found. All I know is I lost a day of campaigning. The outcome of these raids will be known on May 4 (day of counting). This raid will only help me. I will abide by the law and leave it to the people of Rashbehari to decide my fate." Notably, Kumar had previously been questioned twice by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with an alleged land grab and illegal construction case.
In the afternoon, I-T officials also raided the Elgin Road residence of Miraj Shah, who accompanied CM Banerjee as a proposer when she filed her nomination from Bhowanipore. Shah is a member of the Trustee Board of the Bhawanipur Gujarati Education Society, one of the state's largest private educational institutions.
Political Implications Ahead of Bengal's First Phase Voting
These raids mark a significant escalation in the face-off between the Centre and the Trinamool government, occurring less than a week before Bengal votes in the first phase on April 23. Banerjee, at a third public meeting in Dum Dum, accused the BJP of "trying to capture Bengal by force" and pledged never to bow before "their sinister plans." The incident underscores the intense political rivalry and sets a charged atmosphere as the election approaches, with both sides digging in for a contentious battle.
