<p>After Enforcement Directorate conducted raids on the offices of the Indian Political Action Committee or I-PAC in Kolkata on Thursday, the political consultancy found itself in the eye of a political storm.</p><p>On Thursday, while the ED was conducting <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/ed-raids-on-i-pac-offices-coal-scam-money-proceeds-go-to-bjp-leaders-mamata-fires-salvo-amid-angry-stir-3857196">raids at I-PAC</a> chief Pratik Jain's residence, Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee stormed into Jain's home and accused the central agency of attempting to seize the TMC’s internal documents, hard disks and sensitive data linked to its election strategy.</p>.'Coal scam money trail leads to Amit Shah through BJP leaders': Mamata takes fight to streets as I-PAC row heats up.<p>The ED has maintained that the searches are part of a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal smuggling investigation. </p><p>However, this action has captured attention due to I-PAC's close association with the ruling Trinamool Congress. </p><p>Jain—whose home was searched along with other premises of the political consultancy—serves as the IT head of the TMC party. When Mamata reached his residence, the Chief Minister managed to take several files and placed in her vehicle while the raid was still ongoing.</p>.<p>At around 1 pm, Banerjee reached the I-PAC’s Sector-V office. By then, senior officers of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate had cordoned off the area. Without even engaging with central force personnel, Banerjee accessed the building through the basement.<br><br>Banerjee said, "This is not law enforcement, this is political vendetta. The home minister is behaving like the nastiest home minister, not someone who protects the country.”</p><p>She said the raid at the residence and offices of Jain was politically motivated and unconstitutional.</p><p>The firm's office in Salt Lake and Jain's residence on Loudon Street are among 10 premises, including four in Delhi, that were raided by the federal probe agency in the presence of central paramilitary teams.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the ED moved the Calcutta High Court, alleging that the Chief Minister, as well as police officers and other bureaucrats of the state government, who accompanied her, took away documents and electronic evidence. </p><p>The BJP lashed out at the TMC supremo, accusing her of interfering in an ongoing investigation by a central agency.</p>.<p>On Friday, West Bengal CM led a protest march against the "misuse" of central agency by the BJP-led Centre. They sloganeered against the BJP, accusing it of “misusing central agencies for political vendetta.”</p><p>Banerjee accused Amit Shah and other BJP leaders of benefitting from the same coal scam. She went on to file two police complaints against the ED.<br><br>Both the cases were heard in the Calcutta High Court on Friday, however, due to large scale commotion in the courtroom, Justice Suvra Ghosh adjourned the matter for the day. The hearing is likely resume on January 14.</p>
<p>After Enforcement Directorate conducted raids on the offices of the Indian Political Action Committee or I-PAC in Kolkata on Thursday, the political consultancy found itself in the eye of a political storm.</p><p>On Thursday, while the ED was conducting <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/india/west-bengal/ed-raids-on-i-pac-offices-coal-scam-money-proceeds-go-to-bjp-leaders-mamata-fires-salvo-amid-angry-stir-3857196">raids at I-PAC</a> chief Pratik Jain's residence, Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee stormed into Jain's home and accused the central agency of attempting to seize the TMC’s internal documents, hard disks and sensitive data linked to its election strategy.</p>.'Coal scam money trail leads to Amit Shah through BJP leaders': Mamata takes fight to streets as I-PAC row heats up.<p>The ED has maintained that the searches are part of a money laundering case linked to an alleged coal smuggling investigation. </p><p>However, this action has captured attention due to I-PAC's close association with the ruling Trinamool Congress. </p><p>Jain—whose home was searched along with other premises of the political consultancy—serves as the IT head of the TMC party. When Mamata reached his residence, the Chief Minister managed to take several files and placed in her vehicle while the raid was still ongoing.</p>.<p>At around 1 pm, Banerjee reached the I-PAC’s Sector-V office. By then, senior officers of the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate had cordoned off the area. Without even engaging with central force personnel, Banerjee accessed the building through the basement.<br><br>Banerjee said, "This is not law enforcement, this is political vendetta. The home minister is behaving like the nastiest home minister, not someone who protects the country.”</p><p>She said the raid at the residence and offices of Jain was politically motivated and unconstitutional.</p><p>The firm's office in Salt Lake and Jain's residence on Loudon Street are among 10 premises, including four in Delhi, that were raided by the federal probe agency in the presence of central paramilitary teams.</p>.<p>Meanwhile, the ED moved the Calcutta High Court, alleging that the Chief Minister, as well as police officers and other bureaucrats of the state government, who accompanied her, took away documents and electronic evidence. </p><p>The BJP lashed out at the TMC supremo, accusing her of interfering in an ongoing investigation by a central agency.</p>.<p>On Friday, West Bengal CM led a protest march against the "misuse" of central agency by the BJP-led Centre. They sloganeered against the BJP, accusing it of “misusing central agencies for political vendetta.”</p><p>Banerjee accused Amit Shah and other BJP leaders of benefitting from the same coal scam. She went on to file two police complaints against the ED.<br><br>Both the cases were heard in the Calcutta High Court on Friday, however, due to large scale commotion in the courtroom, Justice Suvra Ghosh adjourned the matter for the day. The hearing is likely resume on January 14.</p>
