West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday launched a scathing attack on the Centre following a protest after raids by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the I-PAC office and the residence of its co-founder Pratik Jain in Kolkata, alleging a systematic misuse of central probe agencies to intimidate the opposition.
In a post on X, Banerjee condemned what she described as the “shameful and unacceptable treatment” of Trinamool Congress (TMC) Members of Parliament who were detained while protesting outside the office of Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
“I strongly condemn the shameful and unacceptable treatment meted out to our Members of Parliament. Dragging elected representatives on the streets for exercising their democratic right to protest outside the Home Minister’s office is not law enforcement – it is arrogance in uniform. This is a democracy, not the BJP’s private property,” she said.
I strongly condemn the shameful and unacceptable treatment meted out to our Members of Parliament. Dragging elected representatives on the streets for exercising their democratic right to protest outside the Home Minister’s office is not law enforcement – it is arrogance in…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 9, 2026
The TMC chief accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of following double standards when it comes to political dissent. “When BJP leaders protest, they expect red carpets and special privileges. When opposition MPs raise their voices, they are dragged, detained, and humiliated,” Banerjee wrote, adding that such actions expose the ruling party’s idea of democracy as one that demands “obedience, not dissent.”
Her remarks came amid the detention of several TMC MPs during protests in the national capital against what the party claims is the Centre’s increasing misuse of investigative agencies such as the ED and the CBI to target political opponents. The MPs were reportedly protesting the latest round of ED searches linked to I-PAC, a political consultancy that has worked with multiple parties across the country, including the TMC.
Escalating the confrontation, Banerjee warned that respect in a democracy must be mutual. “You respect us, we respect you. You drag us on the road, and we will drag you back to the constitutional idea of tolerance, dissent, and democratic morality,” she said, underlining that dignity is a constitutional right, not a favour granted by those in power.
The Chief Minister led a protest march in Kolkata, joined by senior TMC leaders and party workers, to register opposition to the ED raids. The party accused the Centre of attempting to destabilise opposition-ruled states and silence critics ahead of key political battles.
The BJP, however, has consistently rejected such allegations, maintaining that central agencies function independently and act strictly in accordance with the law.