I-PAC Row: Mamata Justifies Presence During ED Raid at Kolkata Protest Rally, Condemns 'Unacceptable' Treatment of TMC MPs in Delhi

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee is holding a rally in Kolkata to protest against the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) raid on the I-PAC office in Kolkata, alleging misuse of the probe agency by the Centre.

TMC Supporters have gathered at the 8B bus stand in Jadavpur for the rally and the Chief Minister is leading the rally.

"Have Right to Defend Myself": Mamata at Kolkata Rally

During the rally, the chief minister defended her act of barging into the I-PAC office during the raid conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and said, “Whatever I did yesterday, I did as the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) chairperson. I did nothing wrong. I have every right to protect myself. Why did they come like thieves? They were stealing our party’s confidential data from the I-PAC office, which we had authorised.”

"If someone comes to kill me, don't I have right to self defence?," Mamata said justifying her presence at the venue of ED raid in Kolkata.

The TMC supremo also said that the party's next destination of protest would be the office of the Election Commission of India (ECI).

"You know who is sitting in the Election Commission. He was the Cooperation Department Secretary of Amit Shah. I have no issues with that....I challenge them that they came to power in Haryana and Bihar forcefully. In one more state, they come to power forcefully. Now they are trying to do this in Bengal...Ask me who used the coal scam's money. Suvendu Adhikari used it and sent it to Amit Shah," she said.

She further accused BJP of targeting and harassing old people and pregnant women.

"I never react, but if anyone hurts me, I never spare them. In the name of SIR, they target local people. They harassed old people and pregnant women," she said.

Revealing her aspirations to gain power at the Centre, she said, “After winning Bengal, we must win Delhi as well; can't have BJP rule India.”

Mamata Condemns Treatment Meted Out to Protesting TMC MPs in Delhi

Meanwhile, the chief minister condemned the alleged maltreatment her MPs were subjected to while they were protesting outside the office of union Home Minister Amit Shah calling it "shameful and unacceptable".

In a post on X, she wrote, "I strongly condemn the shameful and unacceptable treatment meted out to our Members of Parliament. Dragging elected representatives on the streets for exercising their democratic right to protest outside the Home Minister’s office is not law enforcement - it is arrogance in uniform. This is a democracy, not the BJP’s private property."

She further alleged that the MPs of her party were "dragged, detained, and humiliated" while accusing BJP of being undemocratic.

"Democracy does not function on the convenience or comfort of those in power. When BJP leaders protest, they expect red carpets and special privileges. When opposition MPs raise their voices, they are dragged, detained, and humiliated. This double standard exposes the BJP’s idea of democracy - obedience, not dissent," Mamata said.

"Let it be clear: respect is mutual. You respect us, we respect you. You drag us on the road, and we will drag you back to the constitutional idea of tolerance, dissent, and democratic morality. This is our India. We are citizens by right, not at the mercy of a chair, a badge, or a position of power. No government, no party, and no Home Minister gets to decide who deserves dignity in a democracy," she added.

TMC MPs Protest Outside Amit Shah's Office

Several Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs on Friday were detained in the national capital for protesting outside Union Home Minister Amit Shah's office against the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) raid on the I-PAC office in Kolkata, alleging misuse of the probe agency by the centre.

TMC MPs Derek O'Brien, Satabdi Roy, Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad, and others protested outside Amit Shah's office in Delhi, raising slogans against the minister.

As this happened, the Delhi police detained Derek O'Brien, Mahua Moitra, and others, lifting them up and dragging them to the police van.

Derek O Brien, as he was dragged to the floor by police personnel, said, “You are seeing what is happening to the MPs here”

Mahua Moitra, who the police lifted from the protest spot, said, "We will defeat the BJP. The country is seeing how the Delhi Police is treating an elected MP."

Protesting against the ED raid, TMC MP Satabdi Roy said that the centre sends its investigative agencies during elections to win.

"They sent the team of ED yesterday, and they remember everything during the time of elections. They send the teams of ED, CBI during the elections just to win, but they won't win the election," he added.

TMC MP Kirti Azad said, "ED conducted the raids in the wrong way, and this is an attempt to win the elections in an undemocratic manner. The BJP will not win the elections in this manner."

ED Raids on I-PAC

This comes after West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee allegedly interfered during an ED raid at the offices of political consultancy firm I-PAC in connection with the coal smuggling case.

Banerjee alleged that the central agency had seized party-related materials, including hard disks, candidate lists and strategic documents, and accused Amit Shah of misusing central agencies.

"Is it the duty of the ED, Amit Shah, to collect the party's hard disk, candidate list? The nasty, naughty Home Minister who cannot protect the country is taking away all my party documents," Banerjee said while speaking to reporters.

Issuing a direct challenge to the BJP and Shah, the Chief Minister dared him to come to West Bengal and fight her democratically.

"If Amit Shah wants Bengal, then come, fight democratically, and win. Everyone must know what kind of operation has been carried out. At 6:00 am, they arrived and seized the party's data, laptops, strategies, and mobile phones. Their forensic experts transferred all the data. I believe this is a crime," she said.

Banerjee asserted that I-PAC was not a private organisation, but an authorised team working for the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). She alleged that the ED had confiscated sensitive documents, including data linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

ED Accuses Mamata of Taking Away Key Evidence

Countering the Chief Minister's allegations, the ED accused Mamata Banerjee of entering the residential premises of Prateek Jain, director of I-PAC, during the ongoing search operation and taking away "key evidence", including physical documents and electronic devices.

"Banerjee entered the residential premises of Prateek Jain and took away key evidence, including physical documents and electronic devices," the ED said, adding that her convoy then proceeded to I-PAC's office, from where "Ms Banerjee, her aides and the state police personnel forcibly removed physical documents and electronic evidence."

Clarifying its position, the ED said, "The search is evidence-based and is not targeted at any political establishment. No party office has been searched. The search is not linked to any elections and is part of a regular crackdown on money laundering. The search is conducted strictly in accordance with established legal safeguards." It added that persons linked to the generation of coal smuggling proceeds, hawala operators and handlers were covered in the PMLA searches conducted on January 8, 2026.

This development in West Bengal has led to a sharp face-off between the ruling TMC and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.

(With inputs from agencies)