TMC protests ED raids on I-PAC office, alleges 'data chori' plot

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh led a protest against ED raids on the I-PAC office in Kolkata, alleging a BJP conspiracy to steal campaign data. CM Mamata Banerjee will also protest, as BJP questions her visit to the raid site.

Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Kunal Ghosh on Thursday led party workers and leaders in a protest in Kolkata against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), after ED conducted raids at the I-PAC office. This comes in the wake of a dramatic episode at the I-PAC Kolkata office, which was raided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged fake government job scam.

TMC Alleges Political Conspiracy

Addressing the media during the protest, Ghosh alleged a political conspiracy by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and claimed that the central agencies were being misused to target the ruling party in West Bengal ahead of elections. "When the 'vote chhor' BJP saw that its 'vote chori' is failing, they hatched this conspiracy of 'data chori'," Ghosh said.

Questioning the timing of the investigation, he added, "Until now, why was there no inquiry into the cases being cited now?" Referring to the ED action at the I-PAC office in Kolkata, the TMC leader said the firm was working as an adviser to the party and alleged an attempt to access sensitive campaign-related information. "I-PAC is an adviser to us, and today an attempt has been made to steal the data and blueprint regarding our campaign," Ghosh told reporters.

The protest saw several TMC workers and leaders assembling in the city, raising slogans against the ED and the CBI and accusing the central agencies of acting at the behest of the BJP-led Union government. Party leaders claimed the raids were aimed at intimidating the TMC and disrupting its organisational and campaign preparations.

Mamata Banerjee to Lead Protest

Further, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will lead a protest in Kolkata on January 9 following the ED raids at the IPAC office on Wednesday, in connection with the alleged fake government job scam.

BJP Hits Back at Mamata Banerjee

Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday mounted a sharp attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee following her visit to the Kolkata office of political consultancy firm I-PAC, which was raided by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the alleged fake government job scam.

In a post on X, the BJP alleged that Banerjee's actions during the ED raid raised "disturbing questions" and indicated a "deeper conspiracy." The party claimed that the sight of a sitting Chief Minister rushing to an investigation site to secure party documents and hard disks was not damage control but suggested an attempt to hide incriminating evidence. "If there is nothing to hide in West Bengal, why would a Chief Minister scramble to secure files from an official investigation site?" the BJP said, asserting that the truth would eventually come out and that Bengal would "vote for the BJP."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)