The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday (January 9, 2026) condemned West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over her conduct during the ED raid on the office of a private political consultancy company. The ruling party at the Center and the main opposition party in West Bengal alleged that Banerjee’s actions indicated that she tried to protect something sensitive, which could land her and her party in a money laundering case related to alleged coal smuggling.
Senior BJP leader and former Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, while addressing a press conference held at the BJP headquarters here, said that he should be made an accused for threatening the Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials investigating the case and ‘snatching’ documents from them during the raid.
The former Union Minister said, ‘The circumstances of Mamata Banerjee’s barbaric action are suspicious.’ He alleged that Mamata Banerjee, accompanied by state police officials, forcibly entered the premises of a private consultancy company where an investigation was going on. She threatened the ED investigating officers and ‘snatched the documents’ and took them with her.
He said, ‘Having been the Chief Minister for the last 14 years, he has good knowledge of the methods of governance. She has also served as a Union Minister in the past. Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged and asked, ‘It means that she was trying to save something sensitive, which could implicate her and her team. What else can be predicted? What were they afraid of?’
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday alleged that the Chief Minister forcibly entered the residence of I-PAC director Prateek Jain in Kolkata during raids in a money laundering case related to alleged coal smuggling and took away ‘crucial’ evidence including documents and electronic devices.
The BJP leader said, ‘We strongly condemn the irresponsible conduct of Mamata Banerjee. Obstructing investigation and snatching files are serious crimes. Mamta is guilty of serious criminal cases. Prima facie, he should be prosecuted under serious criminal provisions for his conduct. He alleged that Banerjee’s conduct during the ED raid was ‘unethical, irresponsible and unconstitutional’. Ravi Shankar Prasad said that by his actions he has ’embarrassed’ the entire democratic process and governance system.
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