"Her step will not be considered appropriate": MP CM Yadav criticises West Bengal CM for interfering with ED raid on I-PAC office

CM Yadav also stressed that the Chief Minister of any state was expected to cooperate with any central government departments.

Speaking to reporters in Bhopal, the CM said, "The Chief Minister of any state is expected to cooperate with the ED or any central government departments. We even take oaths for the purpose. But if one does such a light thing, I think it is not good. As the Chief Minister of the state, this step of hers will not be considered appropriate."

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

Mamata Banerjee visited the I-PAC office, which was located on a public road, and accused the central agency of unlawfully seizing party-related data, laptops, mobile phones and strategic documents. She alleged that forensic experts transferred data during the raid, calling it a "crime" and daring Union Home Minister Amit Shah to fight the Trinamool Congress (TMC) democratically in Bengal.

CM Banerjee asserted that I-PAC is not a private organisation but an authorised team of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). She claimed the ED confiscated sensitive party documents, including data related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, despite the TMC being a registered political party that regularly submits income tax details.

Banerjee also alleged large-scale irregularities in the SIR process, claiming that 54 lakh voter names had been deleted due to so-called "logical discrepancies," disproportionately affecting women and young voters. She further alleged that notices were even sent to eminent personalities, including economist Amartya Sen, and accused the BJP of being responsible for 72 deaths allegedly linked to stress caused by the SIR exercise.

Meanwhile, ED sources rejected allegations of political motivation, stating that the searches were conducted in accordance with legal safeguards. The agency claimed that certain individuals, including constitutional functionaries, illegally intruded into two raided premises and forcibly took away documents. (ANI)