The political temperature in West Bengal soared on Thursday as the Bharatiya Janata Party launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The BJP accused her of directly obstructing an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate during raids on the offices of the political consultancy firm, Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC).
Allegations of Direct Interference
BJP national spokesperson and MP, Sambit Patra, led the charge with serious allegations. He claimed that Mamata Banerjee personally intervened while ED officials were conducting searches at the I-PAC office in Kolkata. According to Patra, the Chief Minister took physical and electronic documents from the premises and even pushed aside officers of the federal agency. This incident is said to have occurred at the residence of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain.
Patra framed these actions as a deliberate attempt to tamper with evidence and interfere with an ongoing probe. He suggested that such direct involvement indicates that the Trinamool Congress chief has something significant to hide from the investigating authorities.
Scope of the Raids and the Underlying Case
The Enforcement Directorate's action was not limited to Kolkata. The raids, conducted on January 8, 2026, covered a total of 10 locations across India. This included six premises in West Bengal and four in the national capital, Delhi.
The searches are part of an investigation into a coal scam that involves allegations of hawala transactions. Due to the financial nature of the suspected irregularities, the case has also been registered under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). I-PAC, a key political strategy team that has worked with Mamata Banerjee's party in the past, is under the scanner in connection with this financial probe.
Political Repercussions and the Road Ahead
This episode has ignited a fresh political firestorm in an already charged environment. The BJP's allegations bring the confrontation between the central agencies and the West Bengal government into sharp public focus. The claim of a sitting Chief Minister physically obstructing a federal raid is unprecedented and is likely to dominate national political discourse.
The accusations set the stage for a major legal and political battle. Key questions now arise:
- How will the Enforcement Directorate officially report the incident?
- What legal ramifications could follow for those accused of obstruction?
- How will the Trinamool Congress respond to these specific and direct allegations from the BJP?
The development marks a significant escalation in the ongoing tussle between the BJP-led central government and the Trinamool Congress administration in West Bengal, with the I-PAC raids becoming the latest flashpoint.
