ED searches at I-PAC office aimed at stealing TMC strategy: Mamata

Central agency seeks CBI probe against West Bengal CM

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused the Enforcement Directorate (ED) of acting as a political tool of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to “steal” her party’s internal strategy, asserting that she did nothing wrong in reaching the premises linked to I-PAC during the central agency’s raids a day ago.   Addressing a rally in Kolkata after a massive 10-km-long protest march, Banerjee said she had intervened at the raid site purely in her capacity as the chairperson of the Trinamool Congress and not as the CM.   “What I did yesterday, I did as the TMC chairperson. I have done nothing illegal,” she said, referring to her unexpected arrival at the venue of ED’s searches at I-PAC offices and the residence of its India head Pratik Jain.I-PAC provides political consultancy to the TMC.   Banerjee alleged that the agency entered the premises early in the morning and that by the time she reached, “a lot could have already been taken away”.   Escalating her confrontation with the Centre, Banerjee claimed that “all agencies have been captured” and accused the BJP of forcibly occupying power in several states.   Meanwhile the ED has approached the Calcutta High Court, seeking a CBI probe against Banerjee, senior police officials and others after facing obstruction during its raids in Kolkata against I-PAC and its director.   PTI has reviewed the writ petition of the federal probe agency, wherein it has claimed that these actions led to a “complete takeover” of its search operation by the “state machinery”. There was “direct” involvement of the highest political executive and abuse of police power, the ED alleged and demanded a CBI probe into the matter.   It urged the high court to “direct the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to register FIR(s) and investigate the entire incident, including the role of the present respondents being the chief minister, police officials, and all persons acting in concert.”   The agency added that a probe by the CBI was essential as both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court have consistently held that where the “high and mighty” in the state are involved in the commission of cognizable offences, investigation ought to be transferred to the CBI.