BJP seeks governor’s intervention, alleges ‘intent to bury truth’
Times of India | 10 January 2026
Kolkata: BJP ratcheted up its offensive against Trinamool on Friday, alleging "file chori" by CM Mamata Banerjee when the ED was probing a case of money laundering, and sought the governor's intervention into the "breakdown of constitutional machinery".
Coming a day after the central agency conducted searches at I-PAC's Salt Lake office and its director Pratik Jain's Loudon Street home in connection with a five-year-old case, BJP urged Governor C V Ananda Bose to seek a detailed report from the state govt on the nature of documents "that were removed".
A delegation of BJP lawmakers submitted a memorandum to Bose and sought his intervention to enquire about the documents removed from the spot by the CM and the "legality of the police action".
Alleging that Thursday's episode "erased the line between the party and state and governance and intimidation", BJP said the CM decided to "confront investigating agencies on the streets instead of seeking remedies through the courts".
BJP senior Ravi Shankar Prasad said the search was neither conducted at the chief minister's residence or office, nor at any Trinamool office, despite that, she "went inside a private property and snatched the papers." BJP also raised questions about how those documents could be kept inside the CM's car with an "intention to bury the truth".
State leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari, who drew a parallel with the obstruction ED officials faced in Sandeshkhali, said: "ED officers could have been hurt if they tried to prevent her. But it is a criminal offence to come in the way of govt servants."
Union minister Sukanta Majumdar alleged that Banerjee was seen equally agile when central agencies were trying to take action against DGP Rajeev Kumar. "However, Kumar was part of her administrative team. But how could the CM be involved in protecting a businessman? If that is the norm, then there can never be any investigation into any corruption in the country," Majumdar said.
Alleging that TMC was trying to politicise the crackdown, Majumdar said there should be a separate probe to find out "how govt files could be kept with Pratik Jain".
BJP's Yuva Morcha staged a protest at Esplanade against "file chori" by the CM. BJP's Mahila Morcha also organized a protest near Lake Club in south Kolkata.