West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused the BJP of “taking control of all government agencies” while addressing a public gathering during a protest rally in Kolkata against the Enforcement Directorate(ED) raids at the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) office.
Claiming political vendetta, Banerjee said Trinamool Congress MPs were dragged away by police while protesting the raids and alleged that the BJP was attempting to destabilise opposition-ruled states, including West Bengal.
The protests follow ED searches conducted on Thursday at 10 locations, six in West Bengal and four in Delhi, including I-PAC offices and the residence of its co-founder and director, Pratik Jain, in connection with a money laundering probe.
During the raids, Banerjee briefly visited the I-PAC office and later went to Jain’s residence, actions that drew sharp reactions from the ED.
Following the chief minister’s visit, the ED approached the Calcutta High Court alleging interference in its investigation.
While search operations have concluded and the agency has left the I-PAC office, political tensions in the state remain high, with the Trinamool Congress terming the raids a “political misuse” of central agencies.
