In a bold display of resistance, Trinamool Congress unleashed waves of protests across West Bengal following high-profile ED raids on the I-PAC office and Prateek Jain’s home. The actions, perceived as a direct assault on the party’s election machinery, have ignited a firestorm of criticism from TMC ranks.
Protesters, waving party flags and chanting anti-BJP slogans, gathered in large numbers outside the raided sites. The ED teams, arriving with warrants, combed through files and electronics at I-PAC—a data-driven consultancy pivotal to TMC’s 2021 assembly poll victory. Prateek Jain, the firm’s director and a trusted aide to Mamata Banerjee, faced intense grilling, prompting TMC to label the raids as ‘election sabotage.’
Senior leaders like Abhishek Banerjee addressed the crowds, decrying the timing of the operations amid ongoing political preparations. ‘The Centre is weaponizing agencies to destabilize Bengal’s democracy,’ he asserted, drawing cheers from the assembled supporters. Police presence was heavy, but the protests remained largely peaceful, with participants blocking key roads to draw attention.
Background checks reveal I-PAC’s role in revolutionizing TMC’s outreach through analytics and social media strategies. The raids, part of broader investigations into financial irregularities, have unearthed documents that ED claims point to fund flows. However, TMC counters that these are fabricated charges to demoralize their cadre.
As opposition mounts, the protests signal TMC’s strategy to turn the narrative in their favor, portraying themselves as victims of authoritarian tactics. With state elections on the horizon, this clash underscores the deepening rift between Delhi and Kolkata, promising more fireworks in India’s federal landscape. The party’s foot soldiers, energized, pledge sustained resistance until justice prevails.
