Kolkata witnessed a major political confrontation on Wednesday, January 8, 2026, as Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee personally intervened during an Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid at the residence of I-PAC director Pratik Jain. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) have leveled serious allegations against the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo, accusing her of destroying evidence and obstructing a central agency's investigation into a coal smuggling case.
Opposition Fury: Calls for Arrest and Legal Action
The BJP launched a scathing attack on the Chief Minister following the incident. West Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya stated that Mamata Banerjee's actions constituted destruction of evidence and an attempt to hide accused persons. "Today, she intervened in an ongoing investigation by a central agency in a criminal case. This is unwanted from a chief minister of a state," Bhattacharya said. He drew parallels to the 2019 standoff when Banerjee sat on a dharna to prevent the CBI from questioning then-Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar in the Saradha scam.
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari demanded strong legal action against Banerjee, calling her interference a habitual, illegal, and unconstitutional practice. The CPI(M) went a step further, with state secretary Mohammed Salim demanding the chief minister's immediate arrest. Salim alleged that the files and laptop she took contained documentation related to vote manipulation, a primary function he attributed to the I-PAC. "We demand immediate lodging of a case against the chief minister and top police officials who were escorting her," Salim asserted.
Questions Over I-PAC's Role and Selective Outrage
The raid and the Chief Minister's dramatic response have put the spotlight back on the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and its alleged deep ties with the ruling TMC. The opposition parties questioned the nature of I-PAC's operations. Salim pointedly asked when Pratik Jain had officially joined the TMC, challenging the CM's description of him as the party's "IT sector chief."
Former state Congress chief Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury added a critical perspective, accusing Banerjee of selective outrage. He noted that the ED had targeted other parties, including the Congress, without eliciting such a strong reaction from her. "I want to ask Didi, why are you so worked up with the actions of the ED?... You are selective in your reactions," Chowdhury said. He described I-PAC as the TMC's "eyes and ears," engaged in unethical and conspiratorial political activities to ensure electoral success through vote manipulation.
A Stage for Political Theatre Ahead of Elections?
The CPI(M)'s Mohammed Salim framed the entire episode as a stage-managed affair between the BJP and the TMC, orchestrated ahead of the impending West Bengal Assembly elections. He expressed skepticism that the truth behind the raid or the coal scam would ever emerge, citing the unresolved RG Kar rape-murder case as a precedent. Salim further alleged that the central agencies were not investigating the real kingpins in the coal smuggling case.
The incident has escalated political tensions in the state to a new high, with the opposition uniting in its condemnation of the Chief Minister's actions. The ED has yet to issue a detailed statement on the raid's findings or the implications of the alleged obstruction. The event sets the stage for a fierce and protracted political battle in Bengal, with accusations of constitutional overreach, evidence tampering, and electoral malpractice taking center stage.
