TMC vs ED: Digital Volunteers Conclave Sparks Political Storm

Senior TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee accused the ED of using raids on I-PAC for political gain, alleging the intention was to steal information for the BJP. He questioned the selectivity of the raids and tied the actions to TMC's digital efforts during electoral revisions. The row intensifies the TMC-BJP confrontation ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.

Senior Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader Abhishek Banerjee has intensified the party's standoff with the central government by alleging that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) were politically motivated. Banerjee claimed that the ED's objective was not to investigate but to obtain political information for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.

Addressing a gathering of TMC's digital volunteers, Banerjee questioned the ED's selective targeting of I-PAC, which the TMC collaborates with for political consultancy and IT operations. He alleged that the raids at I-PAC's premises were aimed at accessing the party's internal strategies rather than pursuing legitimate investigations.

Banerjee's remarks mark the first time he has directly accused the ED of attempting to appropriate TMC's internal data. The ongoing dispute over the ED raids, tied to a money laundering probe linked to an alleged coal scam, has escalated as it intertwines with the party's digital initiatives and electoral campaigns. The political conflict between the TMC and BJP is set to continue intensifying ahead of the 2026 polls.