Kolkata, Jan 8 (IANS) Following the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) raids at the I-PAC office and the home of its director Pratik Jain in Kolkata, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a blistering attack against the BJP-led Union government on Thursday, saying her party’s upcoming Assembly election strategy, candidate list, internal data and financial papers have been "looted" by the central investigation agency in the name of conducting a raid.
According to her, the raids and search operations by ED officials at the office of her party’s vote-strategy agency Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) at Salt Lake as well as the residence of Pratik Jain, should be seen as a "crime" as the BJP wants to forcefully "capture" and "bulldoze" Bengal.
"In the name of conducting raids, they have stolen our party's election strategy which is a crime. They have looted our data, candidate list, list of booth agents, hard disk, SIR related data, financial papers related to our party, political papers, bank account details and internal data. They have stolen all information regarding my party. They have looted everything," said Banerjee after visiting the Salt Lake Sector V office of I-PAC.
"I-PAC cannot be viewed as any corporate entity. It is engaged in implementing Trinamool Congress’ poll strategy. So the raids were intentional with the sole aim of transferring our poll strategy to the BJP," the Chief Minister said after coming out of office where the ED raid is still going on.
Banerjee said the raid began at 6 am in the morning when very few people were at the office. She informed that an FIR will be filed against the ED's forensic team which has transferred all her party related data from their laptops.
"The files were lying scattered everywhere. These are our files. It is my party's documents and data. I have taken some with me," said CM Banerjee.
Files and diaries were seen being taken away from the I-PAC's office by police officials who accompanied CM Banerjee and these were put inside her car. Earlier Banerjee also took out some documents from Jain’s residence and said those were related to her party and the upcoming Assembly election.
Slamming the BJP-led government at the Centre, CM Banerjee said the "BJP is killer of democracy."
"They want to forcefully capture us. They want to forcefully bulldoze Bengal but people of Bengal will not bow their heads before the BJP. The BJP is killer of democracy. Union Home Minister Amit Shah should not have done this. If he has guts then he should come here and contest the election. But why is he targeting I-PAC and stealing my party's documents?" asked CM Banerjee.
The Chief Minister further said, "Internal party data has been transferred from our laptops. Money power and muscle power are being used. You have crossed all limits. Mr Prime Minister please control your Home Minister."
CM Banerjee also described the ED raids as an insult to the IT sector. "Is it not a crime? Is it not murder of democracy? Murder of right to work? Through SIR, they have deleted 54 lakh names. They sent hearing notice to Amartya Sen, Dev and Joy Goswami. Names of women, whose surnames were changed after their marriage, are being deleted. Young generation are not being allowed to register their names in the voters' list."
"About 72 people died and about 91 people are hospitalised and in serious conditions. Victims are not getting the opportunity to defend themselves. If this how Amit Shah wants to win the election in Bengal," she asked.
Banerjee informed that she will remain stationed at the I-PAC office in Salt Lake until the raids are over and Pratik Jain settles in the office.
The Trinamool Congress supremo announced that from 4 pm onwards, Trinamool Congress leader and workers will take out rallies and processions against the ED raids and the BJP's attempt to bulldoze Bengal.
The ED on Thursday raided the Salt Lake Sector V office of I-PAC, a consulting firm working for Trinamool Congress since 2019.
According to sources in the central investigating agency, a special team from Delhi arrived for the operation.
ED officials also visited the Loudon Street residence of I-PAC’s co-founder, Pratik Jain, where searches are also underway. Pratik Jain, is also the director of I-PAC.
Following the development, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee went to Jain’s residence in central Kolkata. Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma also went to his residence. Later, Banerjee went to the I-PAC office in Salt Lake.
According to ED sources, the raid is connected to an old case registered in Delhi concerning coal smuggling. I-PAC’s name has surfaced in connection with several transactions in that case, according to ED sources.
--IANS
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