Kolkata witnessed intense political drama on Thursday after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee abruptly arrived at the residence of Pratik Jain, the head of political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), while the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was conducting search operations there. The chief minister accused the central agency of attempting to seize sensitive internal documents, hard disks and digital data belonging to her party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), triggering a sharp political confrontation between the ruling party and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The incident unfolded amid ED searches linked to a money laundering investigation, which were being carried out simultaneously at multiple locations, including Jain’s residence and the I-PAC office in Kolkata. I-PAC has been working closely with the Trinamool Congress in recent years, providing political consultancy services and managing the party’s IT and media operations. This association has made the raids politically sensitive, especially with elections approaching in the state.

According to officials, the search operations were part of a broader probe into alleged illegal coal smuggling and related financial transactions. However, Mamata Banerjee strongly rejected the ED’s version, calling the raids “politically motivated and unconstitutional.” She claimed the agency was using the investigation as a pretext to access confidential party material.

Videos of the chief minister’s sudden visit quickly surfaced on social media, showing her visibly agitated as she made her way through a noisy crowd of supporters, police personnel and media persons. Dodging cameras and questions, Banerjee entered the premises and later emerged holding a file, which she claimed contained documents the ED was trying to take away.

“They have raided the residence of our IT chief. They were confiscating my party’s documents and hard disks, which contain details about our candidates for the Assembly polls. I have brought those back,” Banerjee was quoted as saying by PTI. She alleged that the agency was attempting to seize hard disks, mobile phones and internal strategy documents of the TMC.

Questioning the role of the central agency, the chief minister asked, “Is it the duty of Home Minister Amit Shah and the ED to take away all my party documents?” She warned that such actions amounted to political interference and intimidation of opposition parties. Banerjee also linked the raids to alleged irregularities in the electoral process, claiming that voter names were being deleted from electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

“Under the SIR, five lakh names have been deleted. Just because there is an election, they are taking away all my party’s documents,” she said, alleging a coordinated attempt to influence the political process in West Bengal.

In a defiant tone, Banerjee issued a challenge to the Centre, asking what would happen if similar action was taken against BJP offices in the state. “What will happen if we reciprocate this ED search by raiding BJP party offices in Bengal? We are exercising restraint,” she said, underlining what she described as her government’s patience despite repeated provocations.

The chief minister announced that the Trinamool Congress would organise protests across West Bengal later in the day against what she termed the “ED loot” of party documents. The call for statewide protests further escalated tensions, with party workers preparing to take to the streets in support of their leader.

The BJP responded with sharp criticism, accusing Mamata Banerjee of interfering in the functioning of a constitutional authority. Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, described the chief minister’s visit to Jain’s residence during an ongoing ED raid as “unethical, unconstitutional and direct interference” in the investigation.

“I feel that the chief minister and the Kolkata police commissioner’s visit was unethical, unconstitutional and direct interference in the central agency’s investigation,” Adhikari told reporters. He added that the ED should consider taking action against Banerjee as per the law, arguing that no one, including a chief minister, should obstruct or influence a lawful probe.

Adhikari also drew parallels with a similar episode from 2019, when Mamata Banerjee had rushed to the residence of then Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar during a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) search, later staging a high-profile dharna in central Kolkata. According to the BJP leader, such actions reflected a pattern of interference whenever central agencies moved against individuals linked to the ruling party.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari went a step further, claiming that Banerjee was “rattled” by the ED action and rushed to defend Pratik Jain with the Kolkata Police Commissioner by her side. In a post on X, Bhandari alleged that the raids had exposed an “illegal money trail” that the Trinamool Congress had allegedly tried to conceal by keeping I-PAC in the foreground.

“Illegal money cannot be used to fund elections, manipulate voters, or hijack democracy,” Bhandari said, accusing the ruling party of misusing funds and attempting to shield those involved by exerting political pressure on investigative agencies.

Amid the political sparring, the Enforcement Directorate issued a statement clarifying its position. The agency said the searches were “evidence-based” and not targeted at any political establishment. According to the ED, the operations were part of an investigation into illegal coal smuggling and associated money laundering activities.

“The search is ongoing at 10 places — six in West Bengal and four in Delhi,” the agency said in a statement. It added that the searches covered premises linked to the generation of cash, hawala transfers and other financial transactions connected to the case. The ED categorically stated that no party office had been searched and that the operation was not linked to elections.

“The search is not linked to any elections and is part of a regular crackdown on money laundering,” the statement said, seeking to counter allegations of political motivation. The agency also claimed that its actions were carried out strictly in accordance with established legal safeguards.

In a pointed assertion, the ED alleged that “certain persons, including constitutional functionaries,” had intruded into two of the premises being searched, misused their position and forcibly took away documents. This claim appeared to be a direct reference to the dramatic scenes witnessed during Mamata Banerjee’s visit, further deepening the standoff between the state government and the central agency.

Political analysts say the episode underscores the deepening mistrust between the Centre and the West Bengal government. For the Trinamool Congress, the raids reinforce its long-standing narrative that central agencies are being weaponised to harass opposition-ruled states. For the BJP, Banerjee’s actions are being portrayed as an attempt to obstruct investigations and shield those close to her party.

As the investigations continue and political rhetoric intensifies, the confrontation over the ED raid at Pratik Jain’s residence is likely to have wider ramifications in West Bengal’s already polarised political landscape. With elections on the horizon, the clash has once again brought issues of federalism, institutional autonomy and the role of investigative agencies into sharp national focus.