India

Mamata Banerjee only leader taking on BJP thuggery: Mahua Moitra on ED I-PAC raids

January 9, 2026

Mamata Banerjee only leader taking on BJP thuggery: Mahua Moitra on ED I-PAC raids Mamata Banerjee led a massive rally and foot march in protest against the ED raids in Kolkata and was joined by a sea of supporters, who hit the streets with her on Friday. AdvertisementMahua Moitra (left) joined Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee (centre) during her foot march in Kolkata on Friday. (Photo: PTI)India Today News DeskNew Delhi,UPDATED: Jan 9, 2026 23:13 ISTWritten By: Vivek KumarA day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) carried out searches at the Kolkata office of political consultancy firm I-PAC and the residence of its head Prateek Jain in connection with a coal scam, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra launched a sharp attack on the Modi government, accusing it of "weaponising" central agencies to intimidate the opposition ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. She also said that Mamata Benerjee is the only leader who has taken on the "BJP’s thuggery and loot". advertisementSpeaking exclusively to India Today TV on Friday, Moitra defended the West Bengal Chief Minister’s decision to barge in to the raid sites, rejecting allegations that a constitutional authority had interfered with an ongoing investigation. Calling Banerjee "the only leader with the guts to take on BJP thuggery," Moitra asserted that the party would fight the case legally and politically, insisting that the raids were designed to disrupt the Trinamool’s election preparations rather than pursue genuine investigation.

mamata banerjee, mahua moitra and tmc leaders

Credit: Indiatoday

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She argued that Banerjee had acted in her capacity as the Trinamool president to protect the party’s proprietary election material.“Our chief minister is also the head of our party.
When your house is being robbed, you have every right to prevent your belongings from being taken away,” Moitra said, alleging that the ED’s actions amounted to “political loot and political espionage”. Moitra questioned the basis and timing of the ED’s action, noting that the agency had invoked a “six or seven-year-old” coal scam case on the eve of elections. She asked why the investigation had suddenly gained urgency now and challenged the agency to clarify the predicate offence that justified its involvement.
"The ED cannot act on its own.
Which FIR, which specific offence are they investigating?" she asked. She maintained that I-PAC, a professional election strategy firm hired by Trinamool, had no connection to the alleged coal scam."I-PAC is a contractually bound agency working on election strategy.
Everyone knows these are election offices.

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Mamata Banerjee only leader taking on BJP thuggery: Mahua Moitra on ED I-PAC raids

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Mamata Banerjee only leader taking on BJP thuggery: Mahua Moitra on ED I-PAC raids

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