The political storm over ED raids on I-PAC intensified Friday as West Bengal rushed a caveat to the Supreme Court. This preemptive filing aims to block any immediate relief to the affected parties without hearing the Mamata Banerjee administration’s side in the ongoing dispute.
At the heart of the row is the Calcutta High Court’s recent order for a detailed investigation into the ED’s operations at I-PAC premises and key personnel homes. The court had flagged concerns over the timing and scope of searches, questioning if they veered into electoral vendetta territory.
I-PAC, helmed by strategist Prashant Kishor, played a pivotal role in Trinamool’s 2021 victory. Now under scanner for alleged FEMA and PMLA breaches involving foreign funding, the firm faces accusations of opaque transactions worth crores. ED documents reportedly detail suspicious remittances masked as consultancy fees.
Reacting sharply, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP-led Centre of weaponizing probe agencies. ‘They fear our winning streak; this is desperate sabotage,’ she tweeted, rallying party workers. The government’s caveat petition meticulously outlines procedural lapses in the high court directive, seeking its recall or modification.
Opposition leaders, however, welcomed the raids. BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari dubbed I-PAC a ‘money laundering hub,’ demanding full disclosure of election expenditures. Congress echoed calls for transparency, highlighting risks to fair play in Indian democracy.
From a judicial lens, caveats are routine safeguards in high-stakes litigation. Yet, this one amplifies federal fault lines, with Bengal invoking state autonomy against perceived Union overreach. Analysts predict a multi-layered legal battle, possibly involving constitutional benches.
Beyond courtrooms, the episode reverberates in political arenas. As campaigns gear up, questions swirl over foreign influences in domestic polls and agencies’ roles therein. West Bengal’s bold caveat not only stalls momentum against it but also spotlights simmering power struggles ahead of national polls.