Opposition parties in Bengal have demanded that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee be booked for first rushing to I-PAC Director Pratik Jain’s residence in Kolkata and then to the political consultancy firm’s office in Salt Lake’s Sector V during an Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid in connection with an ongoing investigation under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Banerjee went to Jain’s residence in Loudon Street and told media persons that she took away files since ED was trying to get her party’s internal documents and candidates’ list. The chief minister then went to I-PAC’s office in Sector V and allegedly removed some more files.
“She was seen leaving with files and a laptop. She claimed it had party information, but we think it had documentation for vote manipulation. That is what I-PAC does. We demand that a case should be immediately registered against the chief minister and top police officers escorting her,” said CPI(M) politburo member and state secretary Md Selim.
Selim also questioned why Banerjee called Jain the TMC’s ‘IT sector chief’.
“When did Pratik Jain join the TMC as a leader? We never knew about him joining the TMC. Is his home a party office? ED raided the office of I-PAC at Sector V in Salt Lake. Is it a party office of TMC as claimed by the chief minister? It may also be a drama by ED because in the end, we never see the truth coming out. Even during the rape and murder case in R G Kar Medical College, despite investigation by a central agency, the truth never came out,” added Selim.
Speaking to media persons, Adhir Chowdhury, senior Congress leader and former Lok Sabha MP, said, “I-PAC is the eyes and ears of the TMC. It is like an investigative agency of the TMC. They are into vote manipulation; they visit districts to hold auctions to decide who will be the local TMC leader. When ED harassed and insulted Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Mamata Banerjee did not react. But when I-PAC offices were raided, the chief minister rushed there.”
BJP state president Samik Bhattacharya said, “Once posters hailing Mamata Banerjee as a symbol of honesty were put up across Kolkata. Today, Mamata Banerjee put the last nail in the coffin of her image. Today, she intervened in an ongoing investigation by a central agency in a criminal case. This is the destruction of evidence, obstructing government officers from carrying out their duty, and trying to hide the accused persons…
“In case of CBI trying to interrogate Rajeev Kumar (the then-Kolkata police commissioner in connection with Saradha ponzi scam case in 2019), we saw a similar move by Mamata Banerjee, who sat for a dharna.”
“Pratik Jain is neither a TMC leader nor an MP or MLA. Why ED raided his home, ED will be able to tell. Why hold the BJP responsible?” added Bhattacharya.