Trinamool Congress (TMC) MPs protested outside the Home Ministry office on Friday (9 January 2026) against the alleged misuse of investigative agencies by the Central Government, after which Delhi Police took them into custody. TMC leaders claimed that they were forcibly removed from the place where they were protesting. The protest came a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raided the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC and the residence of its head.
A police officer said that TMC MPs Derek O’Brien and Mahua Moitra along with other party leaders were taken into custody and taken to Sansad Marg police station. The officer said, ‘He will be released soon.’ The official also said that the demonstration is not allowed outside the Home Ministry office due to prohibitory orders and security concerns. Carrying placards and alleging misuse of the ED, eight TMC MPs tried to enter Dutta Bhawan. The office of the Home Ministry is now in Dutva Bhavan.
MPs were stopped from entering the building
The official said that the MPs were stopped from entering the building, after which they demonstrated at the gate. He told that later Delhi Police forcibly removed him from the protest site. Those who took part in the protest included party MPs O’Brien, Shatabdi Roy, Mahua Moitra, Bapi Halder, Saket Gokhale, Pratima Mandal, Kirti Azad and Sharmila Sarkar. TMC leaders shared pictures of MPs being forcibly removed from the protest site by Delhi Police and strongly criticized the central government.
TMC alleged
TMC alleged, ‘Amit Shah, what kind of arrogance is this? Are you now using Delhi Police to attack elected representatives to crush democracy? Is this how dissent is suppressed in your India? TMC said, ‘Admit that you are nervous! First, the brazen misuse of ED. Now, the peaceful protest of our eight MPs is attacked. This frustration exposes your fears. You can try to strangle democracy, but Bengal is not afraid. Shame on you and your police!’
Mamata Banerjee termed the raids as political revenge
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday (January 8, 2026) had accused the ED of trying to seize the internal data and election strategy of the organization during searches at the residence of I-PAC chief Prateek Jain and the office of Trinamool Congress in Kolkata. Banerjee had termed these raids as politics of revenge and accused of misuse of central agencies to intimidate the opposition parties.
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