In a dramatic escalation of political tensions, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has launched a fierce attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led central government. The party alleges that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) directly coordinated recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) searches in Kolkata, branding the actions as "political snooping." The allegations were fueled by an unverified WhatsApp screenshot shared by a senior party leader.
The Spark: A Controversial WhatsApp Screenshot
The controversy erupted on Saturday when TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh posted a purported WhatsApp chat screenshot on social media platform X. While Ghosh explicitly stated the party was not vouching for the screenshot's authenticity, he emphasized that its contents were alarming. The message suggested that 13 ED officials, including several holding ranks of deputy directors and assistant directors, along with a noted cyber expert, had flown into Kolkata ahead of the searches.
According to Ghosh, the screenshot indicated the officials' travel was coordinated at the behest of the MHA for a meeting at the ED's Salt Lake office. "The flight details are also there. One person flew in from Maharashtra. A cyber security expert was also flown in," Ghosh told reporters, demanding a thorough investigation into the home ministry's involvement.
TMC's Allegations of Political Motives and "Data Theft"
The ED's searches targeted the premises of political consultancy I-PAC and the Kolkata residence of its representative, Pratik Jain. The TMC has drawn a direct link between these actions and the current political landscape. Ghosh argued that the case prompting the raids was registered back in 2020, when I-PAC was run by Prashant Kishor. Currently, I-PAC is assisting the TMC.
"I-PAC has several party strategy documents and political blueprints, with no link to any probe whatsoever," Ghosh asserted. "And this is why the search reeks of political motives. This is data theft. ED, a probe agency run on taxpayers' money, is being weaponised for political objectives, and MHA is behind this directly."
"Watergate 2.0": TMC's Scathing Comparison and Demand
Taking its rhetoric to another level, the TMC's official X handle drew a parallel with one of America's biggest political scandals. In a post referencing the June 17, 1972 Watergate break-in, the party wrote: "8 Jan, 2026. ED officials were caught red-handed stealing our electoral strategy documents from the I-PAC office, at the peak of election cycle."
Labeling the incident "Watergate 2.0," the party posed a direct and provocative question aimed at Union Home Minister Amit Shah, implying he should follow the precedent set by US President Richard Nixon: "The question must be asked. Will Amit Shah resign?" This framing amplifies the TMC's core accusation that state machinery is being misused for espionage against political opponents.
The party has now intensified its campaign, formally calling for a probe into the MHA's role. This incident marks a significant hardening of the TMC's stance against the central investigative agencies, setting the stage for a major political confrontation in the heart of Kolkata.
