West Bengal’s political landscape heated up dramatically as TMC orchestrated widespread protests denouncing ED raids on I-PAC headquarters and Prateek Jain’s residence. What started as a routine enforcement action quickly morphed into a rallying cry for the ruling party’s supporters.
Crowds swelled in Kolkata and beyond, with effigies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi burned amid fiery speeches. TMC accused the ED of acting on BJP’s behest to disrupt their sophisticated election operations. I-PAC, known for its cutting-edge voter targeting, has been instrumental in TMC’s dominance, making it a prime target in the eyes of critics.
Details from the raids paint a picture of meticulous scrutiny: ED officers seized laptops, servers, and financial records, questioning staff for hours. Prateek Jain, whose proximity to TMC leadership is well-documented, was at the center of the storm. Party insiders view this as retaliation for Bengal’s staunch resistance to central narratives.
From district headquarters to the state capital, TMC workers staged sit-ins and marches, halting traffic and amplifying their message through live broadcasts. ‘We will not bow to this tyranny,’ declared Mamata Banerjee in a video statement, urging unity. The protests highlighted simmering tensions over agency autonomy and selective targeting of non-BJP states.
Legal experts note that while ED probes are lawful, their political undertones often blur lines. TMC plans legal recourse alongside street agitations, aiming to expose what they term ‘misuse of power.’ As the dust settles, this confrontation reinforces TMC’s combative stance, potentially galvanizing their voter base while exposing fault lines in national politics.