Mamata Banerjee Leads Protest as Trinamool MPs Clash With Police Over ED Raids

Political tensions escalated sharply on Friday as Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, led a large protest rally against recent enforcement actions by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The demonstrations come a day after the central agency conducted raids on the Kolkata office of political consultancy firm I-PAC and the residence of its director Pratik Jain, triggering a fierce political face-off ahead of the state Assembly elections.

The ED action is linked to a money-laundering investigation connected to an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam. However, the ruling Trinamool Congress has strongly alleged that the raids are politically motivated and aimed at intimidating the party just months before the high-stakes polls.

Mamata Banerjee dramatically arrived at both the residence and office premises during the searches, accusing the ED of attempting to seize confidential party documents under the guise of a financial probe. Addressing supporters, she alleged that central agencies were being misused to influence the electoral process in opposition-ruled states.

Meanwhile, tensions spilled over into the national capital, where Trinamool Congress MPs staged a protest outside the office of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. The demonstration turned confrontational when Delhi Police detained MPs Mahua Moitra and Derek O'Brien after they attempted to hold a sit-in near the minister’s office.

As the political confrontation intensified, senior advocate and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal weighed in, raising concerns over federalism and the expanding reach of central investigative agencies. In a statement posted on social media, Sibal said that federalism was increasingly at the mercy of the ED and asserted that only the Supreme Court of India could place effective checks on the agency’s actions.

Sibal described the developments in West Bengal as deeply disturbing, particularly in the context of an impending election. He alleged that opposition-ruled states and prominent opposition leaders were being selectively targeted through investigative actions.

The legal battle is also set to play out in the Calcutta High Court, where the ED has accused individuals of interfering with its officers during the raid operations. The agency is expected to seek judicial backing to continue its probe without obstruction, while Trinamool leaders are likely to challenge the legality and intent of the searches.

The protest rally led by Mamata Banerjee, scheduled to move from Jadavpur’s 8B Bus Stand to Hazra More in south Kolkata, is being projected by the Trinamool Congress as a defence of democratic rights and state autonomy. Party leaders have accused the Centre of weaponising investigative agencies to destabilise elected state governments.

With Assembly elections less than three months away, the ED versus Trinamool Congress confrontation is shaping up to be a major political flashpoint, blending legal battles, street protests and a broader debate over federalism, institutional autonomy and electoral fairness.