New Delhi | January 9, 2026

The ongoing confrontation between the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC) escalated sharply on Friday, spilling from Kolkata to the national capital as TMC leaders staged a protest outside Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s office in Delhi. The demonstration, which included several MPs, ended with police detaining participants, including TMC MP Mahua Moitra, who was seen being carried away by police personnel while shouting slogans.

The protest came a day after TMC supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s dramatic visit to the offices and residence of Pratik Jain, head of the political consultancy firm I-PAC, amid ED raids in Kolkata. The raids targeted alleged financial irregularities linked to the consultancy group, which manages TMC’s IT and media operations.

MPs Stage Protest, Accuse Centre of Misusing Agencies

Eight TMC MPs staged a dharna outside Amit Shah’s office on Friday morning, holding placards and raising slogans alleging misuse of central agencies to intimidate opposition parties ahead of elections. Among the leaders present were Mahua Moitra, Derek O’Brien, Satabdi Roy, Bapi Haldar, Saket Gokhale, Pratima Mondal, Kirti Azad, and Dr Sharmila Sarkar.

Visuals from the protest showed MPs carrying placards with messages such as, “Bengal rejects Modi-Shah’s dirty politics”. The demonstrators accused the Centre of orchestrating political vendetta through ED actions, claiming that the raids were meant to harass the TMC ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections.

During the protest, Mahua Moitra was forcibly detained, and in videos shared widely on social media, she can be seen shouting, “Shame, shame!” while being carried away by policewomen. Fellow MPs were also detained as the police moved to disperse the demonstration.

The Trigger: ED Raids at I-PAC

The immediate trigger for the Delhi protest was the ED raids conducted on Thursday at the Kolkata residence and office of Pratik Jain, who heads I-PAC, a political consultancy firm that works closely with the TMC, managing its IT and media operations.

Mamata Banerjee personally went to the site of the raids, alleging that the ED was attempting to confiscate sensitive documents and hard disks containing party-related data, including details of candidates for the upcoming elections. Dramatic visuals showed her leaving the premises with documents in hand, claiming she had recovered party files that the agency sought to seize.

Speaking to the media, Banerjee described the ED action as an act of political vendetta, targeting the TMC ahead of elections. She openly criticized the Union Home Minister, calling him “naughty”, and questioned the impartiality of constitutional agencies under the current government.

“This is not law enforcement. Is this how the nastiest and naughty home minister functions, who cannot protect the country and is sending agencies to harass before elections?” Banerjee asked.

ED Response

The Enforcement Directorate clarified that the raids were linked to individuals allegedly generating proceeds from coal smuggling. The agency stated that the searches were conducted peacefully until the West Bengal chief minister arrived at the premises accompanied by a large number of police personnel. ED officials emphasized that the raids were part of ongoing financial investigations and were not politically motivated.

Political Repercussions

The incident has fueled a wider political controversy, with TMC leaders alleging that the ED and other central agencies are being misused by the BJP-led central government to weaken opposition parties before key state elections. Party sources argued that the show of force and high-profile raids were meant to intimidate TMC functionaries and disrupt their campaign operations.

Analysts note that the protest in Delhi signals TMC’s intent to take the confrontation beyond West Bengal, making it a national political narrative ahead of the upcoming assembly polls. Videos of Mahua Moitra being detained have already gone viral on social media, amplifying criticism of the central government’s handling of opposition parties.

The TMC’s Stand

TMC has maintained that the ED’s actions are an attempt to gain access to sensitive party information, including election strategy and candidate lists. In response to the raids, Mamata Banerjee called for a protest rally in West Bengal, scheduled to proceed from Jadavpur’s 8B bus stand to Hazra Crossing, a distance of over five kilometers. She urged citizens to participate and show solidarity against what she described as pre-election intimidation tactics.

Broader Implications

The ongoing standoff has highlighted the delicate balance between law enforcement and politics in India, especially during election seasons. Opposition parties argue that agencies like the ED, CBI, and Income Tax Department are often wielded as tools of political strategy, while ruling party supporters maintain that investigations are strictly legal and procedural.

For the TMC, the raids and subsequent arrests represent both a challenge and an opportunity to galvanize public support ahead of elections. By framing the ED action as politically motivated, the party seeks to consolidate its base and mobilize voters across West Bengal.

Conclusion

Friday’s protest outside Amit Shah’s office marks a new chapter in the ED-TMC standoff, taking the confrontation from Kolkata to the national capital. With TMC MPs detained and Mamata Banerjee leading high-profile demonstrations, the issue has become a flashpoint in India’s political discourse, raising questions about the role of central agencies, political impartiality, and election conduct.

The TMC has signaled that it will continue to protest and mobilize support, both in Delhi and West Bengal, while the ED maintains that its investigations are lawful and focused on financial crimes. As the political drama unfolds, attention is now on how the government balances law enforcement with electoral fairness in the coming weeks.