The political atmosphere in West Bengal reached a boiling point on Friday as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took to the streets of Kolkata, leading a massive protest march against the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The dramatic move came a day after the federal agency conducted searches at the offices of political consultancy firm I-PAC, triggering a high-stakes legal and political battle ahead of the crucial state elections.
Street Protests and Counter-Protests Grip Kolkata
Mamata Banerjee, flanked by senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) ministers, MPs, MLAs, and a large crowd of party workers, marched from the 8B Bus Stand area towards Hazra More. The protesters accused the BJP-led central government of misusing central agencies like the ED for political vendetta ahead of the 2026 Assembly polls. Slogans filled the air, with the TMC aiming to project its street strength.
In a parallel development, the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the BJP's youth wing, staged counter-agitations against the Chief Minister, highlighting the deep political divide. Banerjee, addressing a rally, vehemently defended her actions during the previous day's raids, stating she had done nothing wrong and that the ED had attempted to "steal" her party's crucial data.
Legal Chaos and Political Accusations
The confrontation swiftly moved to the courts, where the Calcutta High Court was scheduled to hear cases related to the ED raids. However, the proceedings were adjourned until January 14 after Justice Suvra Ghosh faced "unmanageable chaos" in the courtroom. The judge exited after repeated appeals for order went unheeded.
The TMC, in its writ petition, urged the court to prevent the ED from misusing or disseminating the data seized. Conversely, the ED approached the bench alleging obstruction of its investigation and sought a transfer of the probe into Thursday's events to the CBI. The Bengal CM also lodged two FIRs against the agency over the raids at the I-PAC office and the residence of its chief, Prateek Jain.
Political rhetoric intensified sharply. BJP leaders targeted Mamata Banerjee, with national spokesperson CR Kesavan terming the TMC regime the "Tanashahi Mamata Congress government." He accused Banerjee of "vandalistic misconduct" and obstructing the law to cover up corruption. Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad accused her of "snatching away" documents from ED officials during the raids.
Detentions in Delhi and the Core of the Dispute
The political drama extended to the national capital, where several TMC MPs, including Derek O'Brien and Mahua Moitra, were detained by Delhi Police. They were protesting outside the Ministry of Home Affairs against the alleged misuse of central agencies. The police forcibly evicted the parliamentarians after they staged a sit-in, with videos of the incident circulating widely on social media.
The heart of the dispute lies in the ED's money-laundering probe linked to an alleged coal scam, which led to searches at I-PAC. TMC leaders argue that the firm, which handles the party's political consultancy, IT, and media operations, was targeted to access sensitive internal material, especially with elections looming. Mahua Moitra stated that all of the party's election data is with I-PAC and accused the ED of attempting to tamper with it and potentially hand it over to the BJP.
The ED's version of events claims that Mamata Banerjee entered the raid premises despite requests not to interfere. The agency alleged in its petition that she, with the aid of police personnel, forcibly took possession of digital devices and key documents around 12:15 pm, forcing officials to terminate the search for security reasons without completing any seizures. This fast-moving series of events has set the stage for a prolonged and bitter confrontation between the TMC government in Bengal and the BJP-led Centre.
