West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Thursday sat on a dharna at I-PAC’s office in Kolkata’s Salt Lake to protest against the Enforcement Directorate raids against the top political consultancy group and its head, Pratik Jain, as she questioned the role of the central agency and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Earlier in the day, ED conducted multiple searches at several locations linked to I-PAC, including Jain’s house, and the office of a trader in Posta, Burrabazar, in connection with a money laundering case.

While speaking to reporters at the spot, Mamata, who also went to Jain’s house, claimed officials attempted to seize her party, Trinamool Congress (TMC)’s hard disks as well as internal documents and sensitive data during raids.

“Such a raid on our party office is a crime. I-PAC is our authorised team. We do file income tax. In the name of the raids, they transferred information on our election details and SIR details.”

She alleged that voter names were being deleted in West Bengal during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision exercise, linking the move to the election process. “Is it the duty of ED and Amit Shah to collect the party’s hard disk, candidate list?… The nasty home minister, who cannot protect the country, is taking away all my party’s documents. What will be the result if I raid the BJP party office?” she asked.

The chief minister also targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying, “I have never seen such dacoits”. “They snatched our election strategy. They looted all our documents… They can’t fight with us politically, now they are looting.”

“They seized all our documents. I took those documents. On Thursday evening, our party will hold protest marches in every block and ward of the state.”

After Mamata reached the I-PAC office, Rajeev Kumar, Director General of Police, Nandini Chakraborty, Chief Secretary, and Jagdish Prasad Meena, Home Secretary, also arrived at the building.