4 months ago
1
The Bharatiya Janata Party connected Friday (January 9, 2026) accused West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of “interference” successful an Enforcement Directorate search, describing her actions arsenic “unethical, irresponsible and unconstitutional”, and alleging that they amounted to “serious penal offences”.
At a property conference, erstwhile Union Minister and BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said the Chief Minister had entered a backstage spot wherever an ED hunt was nether mode and had allegedly “snatched” papers from officials. He said the bureau was taking enactment successful transportation with an alleged ember smuggling scam involving “hawala” transactions. According to him, a ailment had been received against a consultancy steadfast involving transactions moving into crores of rupees, pursuing which the hunt was conducted.
Stating that the ED had explained the full linkage successful its authoritative statement, Mr. Prasad said West Bengal was a large “hotspot” for ember smuggling and alleged that respective radical from the ruling enactment were involved.
“This raid was neither astatine Mamata ji’s location nor astatine her office, nor astatine the Trinamool office, nor astatine the residence of immoderate Trinamool leader, MLA, MP oregon bureau bearer. It was conducted astatine a backstage consultancy steadfast against which a ailment of wealth laundering worthy crores of rupees had been received for allegedly facilitating the ember scam,” helium said.
“In this situation, the Chief Minister goes determination on with her Police Commissioner. Police officers intimidate ED officials, she argues with them, snatches papers and takes them away. This enactment is not lone unethical, irresponsible, and unconstitutional, but has brought antiauthoritarian processes and governance to shame,” helium said, adding that specified an incidental had ne'er occurred successful autarkic India.
Referring to the onshore for jobs scam allegedly involving erstwhile Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, his woman and others, Mr. Prasad said, “Neither Lalu ji nor Rabri ji ever thought of raiding the CBI office.”
The elder BJP person questioned whether Ms. Banerjee had immoderate “connection” with the consultancy firm. “Why are you truthful nervous? That steadfast works for galore people. But if scams are being investigated, past wherefore are you worried?” helium asked. “Mamata ji is simply a elder leader. If she has torn isolated each rules, laws and antiauthoritarian norms, past determination indispensable person been thing precise delicate that needed to beryllium removed. What different inference tin beryllium drawn?” Mr. Prasad said.
Alleging that this was not the archetypal specified instance, helium referred to the Saradha scam case, successful which the CBI had sought to grounds the connection of past Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, but Ms. Banerjee had staged a dharna successful protest. He besides alleged that she had obstructed investigations successful different cases, including the Sandeshkhali unit lawsuit and a rape incidental astatine a aesculapian college.
“Has Mamata Banerjee taken a declaration to guarantee that nary just probe takes spot successful West Bengal? That nary CBI oregon ED probe into corruption is allowed?” helium asked, adding that she should beryllium prosecuted nether transgression law.
