Senior leaders of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), including prominent Members of Parliament Mahua Moitra and Derek O'Brien, were taken into custody by the Delhi Police on Friday. The detention occurred as the leaders staged a demonstration outside the residence and office of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the national capital.
Protest Against "Politically Motivated" ED Action
The protest was a direct response to raids conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) a day earlier, on Thursday. The central agency had searched the offices of the political consultancy firm I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) in Kolkata. TMC MPs gathered with placards bearing slogans such as "Bengal rejects Modi-Shah’s dirty politics", vehemently opposing the ED's move.
The party has labeled the raids as a politically motivated act of intimidation, strategically timed ahead of the crucial West Bengal Assembly elections. They allege the action is aimed at disrupting their electoral preparations and gaining access to confidential campaign data.
Leaders Accuse Centre of Misusing Agencies
While addressing the media during the protest, MP Mahua Moitra launched a sharp attack on the central government. "Yesterday, entire India, Bengal witnessed how ED was misused by the Home Ministry," she stated. Moitra further claimed, "The ED was sent to steal our party's political, strategic information." She hailed party supremo Mamata Banerjee as a "lioness" for protecting the party's assets.
Echoing similar sentiments, TMC MP Kirti Azad accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government of acting undemocratically. "They are acting undemocratically; even the raid was illegal. They loot and accuse us of scams," Azad alleged. He further claimed that the ED seized strategy and candidate lists during the I-PAC raid. In a bold prediction, Azad stated that internal BJP surveys show the party winning less than 25 seats in Bengal, while asserting that Mamata Banerjee would secure a massive mandate as Chief Minister and even become the Prime Minister.
Mamata Banerjee's March and Raid Details
This Delhi protest sets the stage for a larger march planned in Kolkata, led by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself. According to a PTI report, Banerjee will lead a protest march from Jadavpur 8B Bus Stand to Hazra More at 2 pm on Friday against the ED raids.
The ED's action on Thursday targeted two locations of I-PAC in Kolkata. The firm is not only a political consultant for the TMC but also manages the party's critical IT and media operations. This makes the raids particularly sensitive, as they potentially involve the party's core electoral strategy and communication plans.
Chief Minister Banerjee visited the I-PAC premises while the search was ongoing. She accused the central agency of attempting to confiscate internal documents, hard disks, and digital data directly linked to the party's election strategy. The TMC has framed the entire episode as a clear case of politically motivated harassment, significantly escalating the standoff between the state's ruling party and the Union government just before the elections.
