Abhishek says ED raided I-PAC to ‘steal political info’
In a bid to motivate the workers ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, Banerjee also compared the party’s organisational strength to the three wings of the armed forces.
3 min readKolkataUpdated: Jan 13, 2026 02:59 PM IST
TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee reacts to ED raid on I PAC as party alleges political motive ahead of 2026 Bengal polls. (Photo: Facebook/All India Trinamool Congress)
Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Monday slammed the Centre over the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on I-PAC, alleging that the central agency’s objective was not investigation but “stealing political information” to settle scores on behalf of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2026 assembly polls.
Addressing a conclave of the party’s digital volunteers, ‘Ami Banglar Digital Joddha’, Banerjee questioned both the intent and the selectivity of the ED action, claiming that the raid was designed to create a political narrative against the ruling party rather than pursue a legitimate probe.
“The ED says it came to investigate the coal scam. That case is more than three years old and they have not summoned anyone all this time. They can come, but their purpose was information theft,” Banerjee alleged, marking the first time he directly accused the agency of attempting to appropriate TMC’s internal data.
Banerjee questioned why the central agency chose to target only the Kolkata-based director when I-PAC has three directors operating from Kolkata, Hyderabad and Delhi. “If the investigation is genuine, why were offices and residences in other states not searched? And if a director’s house is being searched, why go to the Bengal office at all?” he asked.
“And, if the case is against one director, why target the office? This is meant to create an impression that the organisation itself is guilty,” alleged Banerjee.
In a bid to motivate the workers ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, Banerjee also compared the party’s organisational strength to the three wings of the armed forces.
“The grassroots workers responsible for booth-level activities, campaigning, and organising rallies is the army; party representatives who fight for the people in Parliament and the courts (including me) is the navy; and the social media volunteers tasked with countering misinformation and promoting the party’s narratives online using data and logic is the air force,” Banerjee said.
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Launching an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Banerjee said, “The nations’s biggest content creator is the PM himself. His entire move is based on PR and content. But personally, I do not spend much time on the social media although my screen time exceeds 10-12 hours. Some of our co-workers speak and write really well. I urge them to highlight how there is an attempt to attack the culture of Bengal.”
“Not everything needs to be politicised. Make sure that the future generation remembers Bengal’s contribution and history. In 1905, Lord Curzon stepped back before dividing Bengal. He bowed down to Bengal’s strength. Can PM Modi-led government really break the same Bengal?” he asked.
“There is an app called ‘Didir Doot’. We are also on Facebook and Instagram where you have the option to message us directly. We also have Whatsapp channels and we are on X. You can connect with us there,” Banerjee said.
“This is the first time that we are conducting a conclave of this scale. I remember the first conclave was in 2018. But it was smaller. But next time if we conduct a conclave, we will do it in Netaji Indoor Stadium with around 20,000 people. But I’ll keep in touch with you,” Banerjee added.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
