In a significant development on Thursday, January 8, 2026, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out simultaneous search operations at two key locations in Kolkata. The federal agency raided the office of the political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of Prateek Jain, who is both a co-founder of I-PAC and the IT head of the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal.
Details of the Enforcement Directorate Action
The searches began in the morning and were reportedly part of an ongoing money laundering investigation. While the exact case details prompting the action were not immediately disclosed by officials, the simultaneous nature of the raids at a political consultancy firm and the home of a key party functionary has drawn intense political scrutiny. The ED is understood to have seized electronic devices and documents from both premises.
Prateek Jain plays a dual role as a director at I-PAC, known for its strategic election management services, and as the head of the TMC's IT and digital media wing. This connection placed the raids directly at the intersection of political strategy and party operations.
Mamata Banerjee's Furious Reaction
West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee responded with a fiery condemnation of the central government and Home Minister Amit Shah. Addressing the media, she framed the ED's actions as a politically motivated assault on her party ahead of crucial elections.
"Is it the duty of the ED, Amit Shah to collect the party's hard disk, candidate list?" Banerjee questioned. She went on to launch a personal attack, calling Shah "the nasty, naughty Home Minister who cannot protect the country and is taking away all my party documents." She questioned the intent behind seizing internal party materials, asking, "What will be the result?"
Political Fallout and Implications
This incident is set to escalate the ongoing political war between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government and the TMC. The raids are likely to be portrayed by the TMC as an abuse of central agencies to intimidate the opposition and gain unauthorized access to campaign strategies and sensitive party data.
Conversely, the ED and the central government are expected to maintain that the actions are purely law-based, targeting potential financial irregularities. The focus on I-PAC, which has worked with several opposition parties, adds a national dimension to the case. The aftermath of these raids on January 8, 2026, will be closely watched for its impact on the political climate in West Bengal and the broader opposition unity against the BJP.
