Kolkata, January 8, 2026 — In a bold political move, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday visited the residence of I-PAC co-founder Pratik Jain and the office of the political consultancy firm in Salt Lake while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was conducting raids related to an alleged coal scam case.
Ms. Banerjee, also the chairperson of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), strongly criticized the ED’s actions, calling the raids “politically motivated” and accusing the agency of “stealing crucial party data.” According to her, sensitive documents—including strategy papers and the candidate list for the upcoming elections—were seized by officials.
🔍 Mamata Banerjee Criticizes BJP and Amit Shah
Speaking to reporters outside Jain’s residence, Mamata Banerjee said,
“They [BJP] are killers of democracy. What happens if we respond by raiding BJP offices in Bengal?”
She further alleged that the ED was acting under the direction of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and accused him of attempting to destabilize Bengal politics. The Chief Minister also warned that protests would be held in every block of the state, and an FIR would be registered against the ED’s action.
Accompanied by Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma and other senior police officers, Ms. Banerjee was seen exiting Jain’s residence with a file in hand—one she hadn’t carried upon entering. The ED later alleged that a constitutional functionary had “snatched away” a file during the ongoing search operation.
The central agency clarified that its investigation pertained solely to the coal pilferage scam and did not target any political party office. However, the Chief Minister insisted that the ED had collected mobile phones, laptops, and hard drives which could compromise TMC’s campaign efforts.
Here’s a video of Mamata Banerjee speaking to the media after visiting the residence of I-PAC Director Prateek Jain:
VIDEO | Kolkata: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) visits I-PAC Director Prateek Jain’s residence after an ED raid and says, “Is it the duty of Home Minister Amit Shah and the ED to take away all my party documents? If I go to the BJP party office, what will be the… pic.twitter.com/lRQOpKtVN4
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 8, 2026
🛑 Opposition Slams Mamata’s Visit
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari (BJP) condemned the visit, calling it an “unconstitutional interference” in the ED’s investigation.
“Her presence at the site of an ongoing raid is a clear breach of democratic norms,” he told the media.
Adhikari further claimed this was not the first time Ms. Banerjee had attempted to obstruct central agencies, referring to a similar 2019 incident involving then-Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar.
🔄 Political Backdrop
The political consulting firm I-PAC has been working with the TMC since 2019, aiding in strategy development and electoral planning. I-PAC played a crucial role in the TMC’s 2021 Assembly victory and other subsequent elections.
This episode marks another escalation in the already strained relationship between the Centre and the West Bengal government. With Assembly elections set for 2026, both sides are expected to further intensify their campaigns—and confrontations.
