The BJP attacked West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee for visiting the I-PAC office during an ED raid in a job scam case, alleging she was hiding evidence. Banerjee accused the ED of illegally seizing party data and challenged the BJP to a democratic fight.
BJP Alleges 'Deeper Conspiracy'
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 social media platform 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."
Mamata Accuses ED of Seizing Party Data
The BJP's remarks came amid a dramatic political confrontation after the ED carried out searches at multiple locations, including the I-PAC office, as part of a nationwide probe into an organised fake government job racket that allegedly duped aspirants with fraudulent appointments across departments. Mamata Banerjee visited the I-PAC office, which was located on a public road, and accused the central agency of unlawfully seizing party-related data, laptops, mobile phones and strategic documents. She alleged that forensic experts transferred data during the raid, calling it a "crime" and daring Union Home Minister Amit Shah to fight the Trinamool Congress (TMC) democratically in Bengal.
The Chief Minister maintained that I-PAC is not a private organisation but an authorised team of the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). She claimed the ED confiscated sensitive party documents, including data related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, despite the TMC being a registered political party that regularly submits income tax details.
Claims Large-Scale Voter Deletion
Banerjee also alleged large-scale irregularities in the SIR process, claiming that 54 lakh voter names had been deleted due to so-called "logical discrepancies," disproportionately affecting women and young voters. She further alleged that notices were even sent to eminent personalities, including economist Amartya Sen, and accused the BJP of being responsible for 72 deaths allegedly linked to stress caused by the SIR exercise.
ED Defends Action
Meanwhile, ED sources rejected allegations of political motivation, stating that the searches were conducted in accordance with legal safeguards. The agency claimed that certain individuals, including constitutional functionaries, illegally intruded into two raided premises and forcibly took away documents.
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