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The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) National Spokesperson CR Kesavan on Friday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over alleged interference during the raid conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the I-PAC office in Kolkata.
Speaking to ANI, Kesavan termed the TMC as "Tanashahi Mamata Congress" government, further condemning the alleged misconduct, including snatching of physical evidence connected to coal smuggling investigation, like electronic gadgets and documents. "The TMC, the Tanashahi Mamata Congress government, has become synonymous with anarchic lawless jungle raj. The West Bengal Governor has now received dire death threats. Mamata Banerjee's vandalistic misconduct, obstructing and scuttling the due process of law, smacks of an anxious attempt to cover up corruption..." he said. "What the people of West Bengal are asking is what is the compulsion for a sitting CM to interfere in an investigation scene, and what is the compulsion for her to forcibly snatch away physical documents, electronic gadgets and evidence connected to an investigation about a coal smuggling case involving a hawala racket and money laundering... They will bless the BJP under PM Modi to usher in a new, inclusive, and good governance for West Bengal," he added. 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)
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