KOLKATA: TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Monday attacked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for its recent raid on the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC here, alleging that the central agency had come to steal information and they are being misused to settle political scores by the BJP.
Addressing a conclave of the party’s “digital warriors” here, Banerjee questioned the intent and logic behind the ED action, and claimed that the agency appeared more interested in “stealing” than carrying out a fair investigation.
He questioned why the ED chose to raid the I-PAC office in West Bengal only, and not in places like “Hyderabad and Delhi”, if the central probe agency was conducting a “real investigation” into the organisation.
The ED conducted a search at the Salt Lake office of I-PAC and the south Kolkata residence of its director Pratik Jain on January 8 as part of its probe into the alleged coal scam-linked money laundering case. Some other locations in the state and Delhi were also raided.
Raising questions over what he called selective targeting by the BJP, the TMC national general secretary said that if the investigation was against the company, the residences of all its directors should have been searched.
“If the case is against one director, why target the Bengal office? This is clearly meant to create an impression that the organisation itself is guilty,” he alleged.
Apart from providing political consultancy to the Trinamool Congress, the I-PAC also manages the party’s IT and media operations.
Addressing the gathering of ‘Ami Banglar Digital Joddha’ (I am Bengal’s digital warrior), the Lok Sabha MP further accused central agencies of following different standards based on political affiliation.
He charged the agencies with turning a blind eye when BJP leaders are allegedly caught taking money, but act swiftly against those who oppose the saffron camp. “The moment such leaders join the BJP, they become as pure as a tulsi leaf. Those who resist are branded thieves,” he claimed.
Urging the digital warriors to counter what he termed a false narrative, Banerjee appealed to party workers to use social media platforms to explain the issue to the public and expose the alleged misuse of agencies.
The ED had approached the Calcutta High Court, seeking a CBI probe against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that she, with the aid of the police, took away incriminating documents from the agency’s custody during a raid at I-PAC director Pratik Jain’s home.
Later, the agency moved the apex court after the high court deferred the hearing.
The TMC has repeatedly accused central agencies such as the ED and CBI of targeting its leaders and associates, allegations that have intensified ahead of the assembly elections due in a few months.
The BJP, however, has maintained that agencies act independently and in accordance with the law.
PTI