West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a fierce attack on the central government on Wednesday, accusing it of engaging in political vendetta by misusing central investigative agencies ahead of crucial elections. Her sharp reaction came after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at multiple locations, including premises linked to political party IT chiefs.
Allegations of Misuse and Data Seizure
Banerjee questioned the very role of the ED and directly targeted Union Home Minister Amit Shah. She alleged that the raids were a pretext to seize her party's confidential documents and data. The Trinamool Congress chief claimed that party hard disks and candidate lists were being taken away under the guise of investigations. In a strongly worded statement, she asked, "Is it the duty of the ED, Amit Shah to collect the party's hard disk, candidate list?"
She further lambasted the Home Minister, calling him "nasty" and "naughty," and accused him of failing to protect the country while focusing on seizing her party's materials. Banerjee posed a counter-question, wondering what the outcome would be if she were to raid the BJP's party office.
Voter Deletion Claims Linked to Elections
Beyond the raids, the Chief Minister raised a separate but serious allegation concerning the electoral roll in West Bengal. She claimed that voter names were being systematically deleted during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Banerjee directly linked this action to the upcoming election process, suggesting a coordinated effort to undermine her party.
"On one side, they are deleting the names of all the voters by carrying out the SIR in West Bengal...Because of the elections, they are collecting all the information about my party," she asserted. This dual-pronged accusation paints a picture of a central government using both investigative agencies and administrative processes to target the opposition, according to her.
The Context of the ED Action
The political firestorm was triggered by Enforcement Directorate raids at houses of IT chiefs of various political parties. Among those searched was the residence of Prateek Jain, the chief of the Indian Political Action Committee (IPAC), which is a strategic consultancy known to have worked with the TMC. The ED's action is reportedly part of a money laundering investigation.
Banerjee's allegations highlight the escalating tensions between the Trinamool Congress-led state government and the BJP-led central government. The timing of the raids, close to elections, has become a major point of contention, with the opposition consistently alleging that central agencies are being used as tools for political harassment.
This incident is set to intensify the political discourse in West Bengal and at the national level, with accusations of democratic norms being violated for electoral gains taking center stage. The response from the Centre and the ED to these serious charges is now keenly awaited.
