Kolkata: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Thursday moved the Calcutta High Court, filing a writ petition against the Centre and the ED over raids at multiple locations, which it described as “politically motivated” and aimed at intimidating the ruling party ahead of the Assembly elections.
Chief Minister and party supremo Mamata Banerjee announced a massive protest rally in the city on Friday against the alleged “misuse” of central agencies, claiming that, fearing defeat in the 2026 Assembly polls, the BJP had unleashed the ED at the behest of Union Home minister Amit Shah, terming the action a “political burglary”.
Addressing a gathering at the Ganga Sagar transit camp at Outram Ghat, Banerjee said she would lead the march from the Jadavpur 8B Bus Stand to Hazra More at 2 pm, adding that while she believes in the strength of silence, sometimes “actions” demand “reactions”.
Earlier in the day, she visited the Loudon Street residence of Pratik Jain, a founding member of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), and its Salt Lake office amid ongoing ED raids, a move that further escalated the political fallout. “I will hold a protest rally against the ED raids on Friday. If someone attacks us, we will retaliate. We believe in the power of silence but sometimes actions need reactions. We have got the permission from the Kolkata police for Friday’s rally,” Banerjee said at Outram Ghat.
Meanwhile, TMC staged demonstrations across the state protesting the “misuse” of the Central agency by the BJP-led Centre, with leaders demonstrating at various blocks in the districts and wards of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.
“When the BJP knows it will lose Bengal, it unleashes ED. This is Amit Shah’s politics: fear, force, and files. His desperation is exposed. If you have guts, come to the people. FIGHT US POLITICALLY! Not through central agencies acting as your puppets,” TMC wrote on X.
“Our party supremo is fully justified in protecting the property of the party. ED raided Pratik Jain’s residence, I-Pac offices on the pretext of getting information of a 10-year-old scam. Do you think there is going to be any information relating to a 10-year-old scam on the electronic devices of Jain. A political burglary was conducted by ED on the instructions of their master BJP...” said MP
Mahua Moitra.