The Enforcement Directorate has filed a petition in the Supreme Court of India, alleging interference by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the state administration in its investigation into the I-PAC coal scam. The agency claims that Banerjee’s actions during a recent raid at the I-PAC office in Kolkata impeded the investigation, including the alleged removal of documents. The matter is also pending before the Calcutta High Court, with hearings scheduled for 14 January 2026.
According to Live Law, the ED’s Supreme Court plea under Article 32 seeks an independent inquiry by the Central Bureau of Investigation, citing repeated obstruction and non-cooperation by the state government. The agency alleges that Mamata Banerjee’s presence at the search site, along with senior party leaders, had an intimidating effect on officers and compromised the agency’s ability to function independently.
As reported by The Indian Express, the Trinamool Congress has incorporated Mamata Banerjee’s protest against the ED raid into its new election campaign song. The song, launched shortly after the stand-off, aims to boost party morale and frames the ED’s actions as an attack on Bengal’s democratic spirit. The campaign video features Banerjee and other senior leaders, highlighting their resistance and public mobilisation.
Coverage revealed that the presence of West Bengal’s Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty and Principal Secretary Manoj Pant with Banerjee during the ED raid has drawn criticism from former officials and opposition leaders. They described the involvement of top administrative officers in a political confrontation as “gross misconduct,” raising concerns about the blurring of lines between governance and party activities.
The TMC has denied the ED’s allegations, asserting that the agency’s actions were intended to disrupt its electoral preparations and access confidential strategy material as details emerged. The party maintains that I-PAC functions solely as its election strategist and that the central agency’s intervention is politically motivated.
“Mamata Banerjee’s stance during the ED raid increased morale of the party. This song will boost the party’s rank and file morale like ‘khela hobe’ song did during the 2021 Assembly Election,” a senior TMC leader was quoted as saying.
Analysis showed that Banerjee has also raised concerns about the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging harassment of both common citizens and eminent personalities. In her communications to the Chief Election Commissioner, she cited the summoning of figures such as Nobel laureate Amartya Sen and actor Deepak Adhikari, and described the process as “unplanned, insensitive and inhuman.”
Banerjee’s letters to the Election Commission have accused the SIR process of being politically biased and exclusionary, with claims of deaths, suicide attempts, and hospitalisations linked to the exercise as reporting indicated. She has called for corrective action to minimise the hardship faced by citizens, especially women and migrant workers.
In a related development, Banerjee condemned the detention of TMC MPs during a protest in Delhi against the alleged misuse of central agencies at the end of the week. She described the treatment of elected representatives as an “assault” on democratic rights and reiterated her party’s commitment to upholding constitutional values.
“You drag us on the road, and we will drag you back to the constitutional idea of tolerance, dissent, and democratic morality. This is our India. We are citizens by right, not at the mercy of a chair, a badge, or a position of power,” Banerjee stated.
Further developments include Banerjee’s continued correspondence with the Election Commission, where she has alleged that the SIR process is being used to delete and exclude voters, undermining the democratic framework. She has urged the Commission to take immediate steps to address these concerns.
Note: This article is produced using AI-assisted tools and is based on publicly available information. It has been reviewed by The Quint's editorial team before publishing.