Trinamool Congress MPs staged a protest in Delhi outside the office of Union Home Minister Amit Shah against actions carried out by the Enforcement Directorate in West Bengal. MPs Mahua Moitra and Derek O’Brien were taken into police custody during the demonstration.
The protest was held by TMC MPs opposing recent ED actions, which the party described as undemocratic. Police removed the protesters from the area, stating that the demonstration was being conducted in an unauthorised manner and that the detentions were necessary to ensure security.
TMC MPs alleged that the Enforcement Directorate’s raids were being carried out with the objective of targeting political opponents. They claimed that the ED action was an attempt to exert political pressure during elections in West Bengal. MPs present at the protest included Mahua Moitra, Derek O’Brien, Shatabdi Roy and Kirti Azad, who raised slogans during the demonstration.
Kirti Azad alleged that the ED conducted raids in an improper manner and said the actions amounted to an undemocratic attempt to influence election outcomes. He stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party would not succeed in winning elections through such pressure. Shatabdi Roy also alleged that the ED and the Central Bureau of Investigation become active only during elections to suppress opposition parties.
The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday conducted raids at 10 locations in West Bengal and Delhi in connection with alleged coal smuggling and money laundering cases. The ED said that several documents, laptops and phones were seized from the residence of IPAC head Pratik Jain. The agency claimed that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee took possession of important evidence during the raids.
Mamata Banerjee described the ED action as politically motivated and alleged that it was targeted only at her and her party for electoral gain. The Enforcement Directorate rejected these allegations, stating that its actions were not aimed at any political organisation.
Amid the ED raids and Banerjee’s allegations, TMC MPs continued their protest outside Amit Shah’s office in Delhi, stating that the demonstration was necessary to protect democracy and political freedom.
