- 2 days ago
In this Special Report, lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani weighs in on the rising political tensions in West Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections. He slammed the state government’s response to central agency investigations, questioning the use of police force to seize documents from the Enforcement Directorate.
Terming the episode an act of "house trespass and theft," Jethmalani argues that it amounts to criminal intimidation. The discussion also focusses on the Chief Minister’s alleged use of the "victim card" and draws parallels with earlier confrontations involving TMC leaders.
The programme further examines the impending legal battle involving the TMC, the ED and IPAC, and assesses how these developments could shape voter sentiment in the "people’s court."
Terming the episode an act of "house trespass and theft," Jethmalani argues that it amounts to criminal intimidation. The discussion also focusses on the Chief Minister’s alleged use of the "victim card" and draws parallels with earlier confrontations involving TMC leaders.
The programme further examines the impending legal battle involving the TMC, the ED and IPAC, and assesses how these developments could shape voter sentiment in the "people’s court."
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NewsTranscript
00:00Good evening, you're watching News at 9pm. I am Preeti Chaudhary.
00:04Our big talking point for this evening comes in from the state of West Bengal, which is election-bound.
00:10ED raids at Mamta's election strategists and the agency that the TMC is consulting with for the elections in the next two months.
00:21Mamta Banerjee calls the Home Minister Naughty, says that he is misusing the Enforcement Directorate.
00:29ED crackdown or pre-poll narrative building. Investigation or intimidation?
00:37And a little later, Donald Trump once again unleashes something very new.
00:43This time, new unilateral American imperialism.
00:47What would be the ramifications of that is something we're going to discuss later on in the show.
00:52First up, allow me to take you through the headlines.
00:54High drama in Kolkata.
01:00After ED raids, IPAC office, Chief Minister Mamta wades in claims to have taken away party documents.
01:06IPAC and ED both approached the High Court.
01:09Bengal Chief Minister to lead protest march tomorrow.
01:12India Today expose reveals Karnataka government paid crores to Gandhi's owned National Herald from 2023 to 2025.
01:25BJP rains fire on Siddharamaya-led Karnataka government.
01:28Man-hunt launched for alleged stone pelting at Turkman Gate.
01:37CCTV shows that the provocation was planned.
01:39YouTuber with millions of followers accused of rumour-mongering.
01:44Ten social media influencers also held.
01:46Cold wave grips North India.
01:52No respite in sight, according to IMD.
01:55Very dense fog will prevail over northern India, including capital Delhi, on January 9th.
02:06Political war intensifies after National Medical Commission withdraws letter to permission to Vaishnu Devi Medical Institute.
02:14PDP, Congress slam centre.
02:17Jammu and Kashmir chief minister condemned celebration by right-wing groups.
02:25Amid no nod from Censor Board, Vijay's farewell film, Jananayagan, postponed.
02:30Censor Board wants new panel to review film Madras High Court to pronounce its verdict on Friday.
02:36Big claims coming in by Pakistan's Defence Minister, Khwaja Asib, says Islamabad getting record orders for fighter jets after conflict with India
02:49and may not need any financial assistance from IMF after six months.
02:57Amidst mega crackdown, US immigration officer fatally shoots women through a car window in Minneapolis.
03:03Official claims self-defence, but local leaders contest the version.
03:09US President Trump defends the officer.
03:14And renowned ecologist and Padma Bhushan recipient, Madhav Gadgil, passes away at the age of 83.
03:23He was cremated in Pune with state honours for his contribution to environmental conservation.
03:28Fair amounts of action coming in from West Bengal, two months away from elections, from raids to resistance, to protest marches, to barging in, to charges flying thick and fast.
03:44And files also being taken away.
03:48Full-blown fury.
03:49The Enforcement Directorate steps into Bengal's political minefield two months before elections, raiding poll strategist Saipak.
03:58And Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee doesn't stay on the sidelines.
04:02She storms straight into the middle of operation, accuses the ED of theft and turns the probe into a political flashpoint.
04:09With allegations of Hawala money, cold-scam links and claims of evidence being removed, the ED versus Mamata showdown is now out on the streets and is now also headed to court tomorrow.
04:21So is this an agency doing its job or is it politics by other means in election-bound Bengal?
04:28The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday raided political affairs consultants, IPAC and CM Mamata Banerjee walked straight into the centre of the system.
04:58The ED conducted searches at the residence of Prateek Jain, head of IPAC, which is managing TMC campaign for assembly polls.
05:08Simultaneous raids took place at the IPAC office in Kolkata.
05:11In a combative move, Mamata Banerjee rushed to Jain's residence while the ED operation was still underway.
05:30Moments later, cameras caught her leaving the premises, holding files, images that triggered controversy.
05:37From Jain's residence, the chief minister went straight to the IPAC office.
05:53As the ED search continued, TMC workers were seen removing files from inside the office, igniting a full-blown political storm.
06:03This is a file.
06:05This file is very important.
06:09This file is very important.
06:11This is a file.
06:13This file is very important, because this file is a file that is being made in the car.
06:18A visibly angry Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of weaponizing central agencies to intimidate
06:44the opposition ahead of elections.
07:13The Enforcement Directorate in a statement said the search was linked to a CBI case filed
07:19against Anoop Maji on November 27, 2020.
07:24The ED alleges that a syndicate led by Anoop excavated coal illegally from areas leased
07:30by eastern coal fields.
07:32A large part of this coal was allegedly sold to Shakambari group of companies.
07:38ED alleges tens of crores of rupees were routed to IPAC through Havala route.
07:44The agency added that Havala operators were also raided on Thursday.
07:50ED has accused Mamata Banerjee of taking away key evidence including documents and electronic
07:55devices from Pratik Jain's residence.
07:59ED alleged that Mamata, her aides and police personnel removed documents from IPAC office
08:05as well.
08:06Mamata Banerjee called on TMC Kader to hit the streets and party workers responded with protest
08:16across Bengal.
08:17The BJP hit back sharply accusing the chief minister of obstructing an
08:21ongoing investigation.
08:28The BJP hit back sharply accusing the chief minister of obstructing an ongoing investigation.
08:47In election-bound Bengal, the political showdown is nowhere near its end.
09:08Bureau Report, India Today.
09:21All right, let's quickly cut across to the news break that is just filtering in right
09:33now from West Bengal.
09:34It's been a lot of action in the last eight hours after ED and then IPAC.
09:39Now it is the turn of the Trinimal Congress.
09:41The TMC has also moved Calcutta High Court over today's ED raid.
09:46Calcutta High Court likely to hear the matter tomorrow.
09:49IPAC has sought immediate stay on ED raids, seeking immediate stay on ED raids is the IPAC.
09:57That's the reason why it's approached the Calcutta High Court.
10:01It also says that the ED was trespassing.
10:05The ED has approached the High Court viewers on the grounds that Mamata Banerjee tried to
10:10come in the way of an investigation, obstructing an agency to carry out an investigation.
10:17And now, it's the turn of the TMC that has decided to approach the High Court tomorrow.
10:22All of this in the backdrop when Mamata Banerjee will take out a march in protest against the
10:28central government for what she says is the misuse of central agencies.
10:33Indrajit Kundu joining me live for more.
10:35What more can you add, Indro?
10:36At one end, you have IPAC going to court on the grounds of halting the raids, suggesting
10:42or claiming that it's trespassing.
10:45You have ED going to the court saying this is obstructing an agency to conduct a raid,
10:52which is Mamata Banerjee coming in the way of that.
10:54Why is TMC approaching?
10:56On what grounds is TMC going to court?
10:57Can you hear me, Indrajit?
11:08Indrajit Kundu, can you hear me?
11:10Yes, that's right, PT.
11:10You know, the Trinamore Congress has now approached the Calcutta High Court.
11:13Yes, that's right.
11:14Priti, yes.
11:15You know, the Trinamore Congress has now approached the Calcutta High Court.
11:19The petition has been accepted.
11:20It is listed for hearing tomorrow.
11:22Now, this comes after the Enforcement Directorate, on its part, went to the Calcutta High Court
11:27over the entire fiasco that unfolded today in Kolkata.
11:32The Enforcement Directorate, on its part, is saying that there was obstruction and there
11:35was, you know, destruction of evidence.
11:38You know, papers were snatched away by the Chief Minister and her team.
11:42The Trinamore Congress, on its part, has now also approached the Calcutta High Court,
11:46which is likely to be heard tomorrow.
11:48It is listed for hearing tomorrow.
11:50It's in the single bench of Justice Shubra Ghosh.
11:54And, you know, what we are hearing from sources in the TMC, that they have approached the High
11:59Court with the complaint that their, you know, political material, you know, documents pertaining
12:05to their party, the Trinamore Congress, that has been, you know, taken by the Enforcement
12:11Directorate, is what we are hearing.
12:13So, you know, it would be very interesting, the kind of hearing that happens at the Kolkata
12:18High Court, the tug of war, the political tussle that we saw all through the day, will
12:23now have a legal repercussion.
12:25So, there will be a legal battle inside the Kolkata High Court because the ED has come
12:29out sternly.
12:30They have accused the Chief Minister and her team of tampering with evidence.
12:35That is going to be something which is very, very significant.
12:37And instructing a central agency from conducting its raids.
12:40Thank you, Indrajit, for joining us.
12:43Well, you know, the last eight hours have been tumultuous politically and tomorrow morning
12:47it's going to be fought in the court, legally there.
12:50While the politics continues, Mamata Banerjee will also take out a march protesting against
12:54the central government.
12:55Joining me right now from the TMC, Lok Sabha MP, Shogata Roy.
13:00Mr. Roy, thank you for taking the time out and joining us this evening.
13:04We'll come down to what the TMC says, calling this vendetta, a witch hut.
13:09But to focus, Mr. Roy, on the charges that are.
13:14Now, the charges seem to be grave.
13:16It's CAM money, which is coal loot, diverted through IPAC to support and fund your campaign
13:24in Goa elections, the last elections in Goa.
13:28The charges, prime FSI, are grave.
13:45Volume, bado.
13:46Banca Banerjee.
13:48Banca Banerjee.
13:49Banca Banerjee.
13:50Banca Banerjee.
13:51Banca Banerjee.
13:52Goa elections were held long time back.
13:55The ED suddenly has pounced on IPAC.
13:59It's known that IPAC has been our political strategist.
14:04It has been our consultant.
14:08So, this has been happening for a long time.
14:11Why do the raid just on the eve of the election?
14:16Obviously, with political interest.
14:19ED and CBI are two arms of the BJP.
14:23ED basically has no power.
14:25ED is only empowered to deal with PMLA, Prevention of Marley-Londering Act.
14:32Now, the ED, though it is under the finance ministry, is used by Amit Shah to threaten political opponents.
14:44You just find out from history how many cases has ED secured a conviction.
14:54They are not one.
14:55They are just a handmaiden of Amit Shah and BJP leadership.
15:02And this raid today in IPAC office is entirely baseless, bankam, bogus.
15:16And they are showing that ED has done probes on all opposition leaders at different times.
15:28Has the ED ever probed a single BJP chief minister?
15:32Okay.
15:33Where any place where BJP government is there?
15:37It's a third-class organization being used by a third-class leadership of the BJP.
15:43But, Mr Roy, let's say that this is bankam.
15:47For a moment, let's believe what your claim is, that it's bankam, that it is intimidation by the ED at the behest of the central government.
15:56You yourself say that the ED has come up with no convictions where it's gone ahead after opposition parties.
16:04So use it to your advantage then, Mr Roy. Milk it politically.
16:08If you have nothing to hide, allow them to do the investigation.
16:12As you say, they will come up with nothing.
16:14Then use it politically.
16:16Why oppose it in the manner that we see the chief minister of West Bengal barging into the office where an investigation is being conducted
16:23and walking out with what many could suggest is material which could be incidentally linked.
16:30See, what you are suggesting that we act like good boys and let the ED run amok. No.
16:42Tagore used to say,
16:44Anna je kare ar anna je shahe tabo ghrina jana tare tino samodha he.
16:49Whoever does wrong and whoever tolerates wrong, he should be hated.
16:55So we cannot just keep quiet.
16:58If we did nothing, so they would say, well, TMC is guilty.
17:04That's why they have quietly accepted our raid.
17:07No, we are not guilty.
17:10This cold thing has been raised by ED so many times.
17:18People have been arrested, but single conviction has not been obtained.
17:25ED is a bogus organization.
17:27Okay.
17:28Run by absolute psychopaths of BJP.
17:33Absolute hand maintenance of BJP.
17:35Mr. Roy, you are admitting to also playing the bad boy.
17:38I am just quoting you, sir.
17:39You are admitting to also playing the bad boy and then that's the charge which has come in from the Enforcement Directorate
17:45where you have an ongoing investigation, an ongoing raid and the chief minister of a state barges into that office
17:52and comes out with documents which could, like I said, be incendiary in nature which the ED might want.
18:01It's coming in the way of an investigation.
18:03See, ma'am.
18:05See, see if the ED comes into India today office and takes away all your news files, wouldn't you protest?
18:15Or would you just say, put your hands up and say, ED has done it. ED is holier than thou.
18:21So how can I protest?
18:23No, that's not Mamta Manaji's style.
18:26She's been drawn to protest.
18:28And IPAC is a political organization.
18:31It acts as our consultant.
18:33It acts as our advisor.
18:35How can we accept?
18:36Where is cold smuggling and where is IPAC?
18:40They are linking the two.
18:42Just trying to break our morale.
18:44They have done it earlier also.
18:47They are doing it again.
18:50I totally oppose.
18:53I totally run down the ED for this organization.
18:59ED as an organization should be abolished.
19:03It has done…
19:04Okay, Mr. Roy, you asked a question.
19:07You know, I would think we as an organization would allow a central agency to do its job and let it be proven.
19:13If you have nothing to hide, let it be proven.
19:15But having said that, sir, so you do think that there was absolutely nothing wrong in coming in the way of a central agency dispensing its duties?
19:24Absolutely.
19:26Nothing wrong.
19:28Nothing wrong.
19:29If the central agency does wrong things, they should not get away with it.
19:34They must realize that there are some people who will protest.
19:39Protest righteously.
19:41And that's what we have done.
19:43Sir, one question.
19:45Protest righteously is different than barging into a building that a raid is currently on in, where the ED is carrying an investigation.
19:53What you are well within your rights is what you are doing tomorrow, where the Chief Minister of West Bengal is going to take out a protest march against the central agency, which is ED, which you claim is functioning at the behest of the central government.
20:06That is a fair protest.
20:08Protest of barging into an office and, you know, barging out with documents that…
20:14No, no, why are you saying?
20:16Yes, sir, make your point.
20:17This, this, this, this office is not, ED's father's property.
20:23It belongs to a political consultant to TNC.
20:26Why should you let that happen?
20:29We want to discredit ED.
20:33You are right.
20:34Because ED is an organization worth being discredited.
20:38That's what we are saying.
20:42We are not barging in.
20:44You are saying barging in as if it's a property of ED and we are barging in their property.
20:50No, ED has barged into IPAC office.
20:53What right do they have to barge in IPAC office?
20:57No previous intimation.
20:59Suddenly they go and barge into somebody's office.
21:02Okay.
21:03No, this, this way cannot be.
21:05India today also should not be rated like that.
21:08No, sir.
21:09Allow me to, allow me to ask you one question.
21:12Because there's a history attached to it.
21:14Because many would suggest that there's a fair amount of hypocrisy attached to,
21:18you know, Miss Banerjee accusing BJP of undermining democracy.
21:22Many would say that in the past it has been the TMC, you know, government,
21:27which has obstructed many probes, CBI probes.
21:30You can't forget what happened in 2009.
21:32That entire dharna against the raids on former Kolkata police commissioner, Mr. Rajiv Kumar.
21:41Very rightly done.
21:47You think there's nothing wrong in that, sir?
21:49Rajesh Kumar was the best police officer in the state.
21:55And then the ED went into his house.
22:00Now, if the chief minister does not protest, the policemen will all lose their morale.
22:06And that was their intention.
22:08To, to browbeat the IS or IPS officers so that they do not listen to the state government.
22:14See…
22:15Okay, I'll ask you one final question.
22:16Okay.
22:17Sir, allow me to ask you one question because you say, you know, the coal scam is something
22:23which happened God alone knows when.
22:25So, there is no ramification of it right now.
22:27But the fact is, sir, Mr. Rabhishek Banerjee continues to face ED and CBI summons when it
22:32comes down to the coal scam.
22:33And it's happened over a course of time, over years.
22:35So, the ED might suggest that it's just trying to close in the loop.
22:42No, no, they, they will not, they will not close in any loops.
22:48They, they can only do harassment and try to bring a bad name to our party.
22:53They, they, they, they have not closed any case.
22:56They have not been able to get anybody convicted.
23:00It's all, as I said in the beginning, bhangkam.
23:04It's all pigment of ED imagination.
23:07The imagination that's triggered by Amit Shah's orders.
23:12Okay.
23:13All right, sir.
23:14Thank you, Mr. Roy, for taking the time out.
23:16We appreciate it.
23:17You have yourself a good evening ahead.
23:18Thank you for joining us.
23:19Thank you very much.
23:20You're very sweet in asking questions.
23:23I hope the questions were tough, but thank you.
23:25I take that as a compliment.
23:28I just want to quickly, you know, move on and let's just focus on IPAC for just a brief while, viewers.
23:35Because IPAC is not something which is completely associated when it comes down to the TMC, the Congress or just the opposition parties.
23:41IPAC has been a political consultant and has, you know, served parties across the spectrum.
23:48It actually came into the limelight in 2014 and that was the year that Prime Minister Modi became the Prime Minister of this country.
23:57And at that time, IPAC was under Mr. Prashant Kishore.
24:01And he heralded the BJP and helped the BJP to a huge success.
24:08So, 2014 with the BJP.
24:11Bihar Assembly elections 2015.
24:13That time it was again with Mr. Prashant Kishore.
24:15It was the JDU-RJD alliance which succeeded against the BJP even though the cult of the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, was at its peak in 2015.
24:27Let's then go to 2017, Punjab Assembly.
24:31Once again a huge success.
24:33This was when Captain Amrinder Singh became the Chief Minister of Punjab.
24:37Let's then go all the way to Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections 2017.
24:42And that is when the biggest loss for IPAC came.
24:46There were wins, wins, wins, wins, wins and then a massive devastating loss in 2017.
24:51And that was where you had again the IPAC under Mr. Prashant Kishore help the Samajwadi Party Congress alliance and it was an abject failure.
25:02Let's move now to 2019, Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections.
25:06Vaisar Congress is what IPAC supported.
25:10Again at that point of time, Prashant Kishore hadn't moved away from the IPAC which he did in the recent past when he started his political career.
25:17He has nothing to do with the IPAC anymore.
25:19But in 2019, he was heading the IPAC.
25:23And once again, Vaisar Congress succeeded in winning the election with the campaign being managed by IPAC.
25:31Let's go on now to Maharashtra Assembly, Lok Sabhat 2019.
25:35Shiv Sena was consulting with IPAC and a huge success.
25:41Let's now move to 2020.
25:43The sweep in Delhi Assembly elections which heralded the return of Arwen Kejriwal in 2020.
25:50IPAC was consulting with the Ahmadineh Party managing their campaign.
25:56Let's now go to one of the most high profile elections at least that I have covered,
26:00which is the West Bengal Assembly 2021.
26:03It was a pitched battle between the BJP and the TMC.
26:07At that time, once again, it was under Prashant Kishore.
26:10IPAC was supporting the TMC or was consulting.
26:15TMC was consulting with IPAC and managing the campaign of TMC led to a massive sweep, huge win of Mamata Banerjee in 2021.
26:27Let's go now to Tamil Nadu SMB 2021.
26:30DMK, huge success.
26:32West Bengal Lok Sabhat 2024.
26:34This is the time where you did not have Prashant Kishore.
26:37You had a lot of people who've worked with Prashant Kishore.
26:40Lots of heads. We're going to delve into that as well.
26:42And in 2024, the TMC succeeded what many would think that the BJP would do very well in West Bengal.
26:49Then that didn't quite happen.
26:51TMC did stupendously well.
26:53Let's go to 2024, YSAR Congress campaign in Andhra Pradesh.
26:59That was a failure. Even the IPAC was consulting with YSAR Congress.
27:04After engineering a win for YSAR Congress earlier, it failed to catapult YSAR Congress to power in 2024.
27:132025, once again, Delhi Assembly elections failed for the Aam Admi Party consulting with IPAC.
27:21Now, all eyes are on West Bengal Assembly elections 2026.
27:27And once again, this time around, it is Mr. Prateek Jain who's heading the campaign for IPAC and helping Mamta Banerjee.
27:35His residence has been raided and the IPAC office has been raided.
27:39And it is once again consulting with the TM, the TMC consulting with the IPAC and Mr. Prateek Jain for the elections that are bound in the next two months.
27:51So you have a fair idea in terms of that it's not just, like I said, the opposition or the TMC.
27:57The IPAC from the BJP has gone all across the spectrum, across the political divide, you know, a political mercenary of sorts.
28:06Whoever paid them a decent amount of money, IPAC decided to consult with them as what is the nature of a political consultancy.
28:14No ideology there.
28:15But let's quickly cut across to our big questions at the back of what has taken place today in West Bengal.
28:22Corruption crackdown or narrative building.
28:25You'll have the BJP who will have us believe that what is happening right now is an out-and-out corruption crackdown.
28:31You'll have the TMC saying nothing doing. This is narrative building two months before election.
28:35This is intimidation, not investigation.
28:37Have pre-poll raids lost credibility? And we'll tell you why some would think so.
28:44There's data to suggest the same. We're going to tell you.
28:47And it's a question that one can ponder on.
28:49Mamta's outburst to a bid to discredit the ED.
28:54She's not the first time that Mamta Banerjee has raised the flag against central agencies
29:00which she has claimed have been misused by the central government over years.
29:05Is the Bengal Chief Minister trying to block the ED probe?
29:08Well, that is what the ED has charged Mamta Banerjee with
29:12and is taking Mamta Banerjee to court tomorrow morning.
29:15Not that Mamta Banerjee isn't because TMC has also gone to court
29:19accusing the ED of stealing documents of the party, which is the political assets of the party.
29:26IPAC has also gone to court charging the ED of trespassing.
29:32Let's take all these questions and all these scenarios to our guests this evening.
29:37I have with me Satendra Singh, former Deputy Director, ED.
29:40Sanju Verma, National Spokesperson, Bharatiya Janta Party.
29:44Niladri Bhattacharya, Political Analyst, Mohamed Salim, Senior Leader, CPI.
29:49I'd like to begin right now with former Deputy Director of ED, Mr. Satendra Singh.
29:58Mr. Singh, you know, the fact is, with what we have seen,
30:03especially where elections are bound, states which are election bound, we have seen.
30:08Now, nobody's questioning the motive of it, but we are just reporting what we've seen,
30:13which has been activity of central agencies.
30:16Therefore, the opposition raising the charge that this is all engineered.
30:21The larger question being, Mr. Singh, that our investigative agencies today losing credibility.
30:31Namaste, Preeti ji. Aapko mere co-panelist ko namaskar.
30:36The question is not of the credibility. Actually, the question is of timing.
30:43Timing of the action by agency. But question, if action is wrong or right,
30:53is the question is wrong. The question is wrong.
30:54The question is wrong. The question is wrong.
30:56Now, you can see, there is an investigation.
30:59The information is wrong. It is wrong.
31:01The information is wrong. It is wrong.
31:03The money trail is following the way. It is wrong.
31:05The state is accused of the position.
31:07If he is politician or politician is politician,
31:11then he will wait for election to be over and then he will take action.
31:16Then, I will be given by the conclusion of the election.
31:26Then, what about the case?
31:28The case came in court.
31:31No way.
31:33I will say that E.D.
31:35Is it wrong?
31:36We are pulling political questions over time.
31:38The political working is what is working.
31:40The election will be done with a 24-7.
31:43There will be some kind of elections in the state.
31:45There will be 5-5 elections,
31:47there will be a parliament election,
31:49sometimes there will be something.
31:50So politics is a 24 into 7 business.
31:54In this way, the investigating agencies,
31:58they are on the job for 24 into 7.
32:02And you will decide,
32:05when will he search?
32:08When will he search?
32:11When will he search for evidence?
32:14Now he was saying that without notice the idea,
32:18he will notice the action.
32:22This is no matter what.
32:24And the IPAC is a matter of fact.
32:27I have so much knowledge in the media.
32:30Yes.
32:32Look, this case is a previous case,
32:34but it is still going to be a search.
32:36In November 20th,
32:37in November 1st,
32:38there will be some search in which there will be some operators.
32:42They were rooting for this money,
32:44and they got the money illegally.
32:45They got the money illegally,
32:47because it was illegal money,
32:49because there was a banking transaction.
32:51Yes.
32:52When the operators saw this money,
32:55they realized,
32:57in the EDI's press note,
32:58they transferred to the IPAC,
33:02then they did not invest in it.
33:04Or they wait for the election to be over,
33:07and then it will be over.
33:08Fair point.
33:09You are saying that there is an investigation,
33:13that is going on.
33:14It is going on.
33:15It is going on with the timing.
33:16I want to say that there is another question.
33:17I want to say something else.
33:18I have serviced in the EDI.
33:19For 39 years,
33:20I have serviced in EDI.
33:21It has happened,
33:22and it is going on with the attacks in the search.
33:24It has happened.
33:26The attacks have happened.
33:28It has happened,
33:28and it has happened,
33:29because people will take the documents inside,
33:31even the equipment,
33:34and take them away.
33:34But who is sitting in the post?
33:36That's the right.
33:37That's the right.
33:37Let's take all these questions.
33:38That's right.
33:40Let's take all these questions to our other panelists.
33:46Sanju Verma, lots of questions there.
33:48Nobody's questioning the motive of the ED.
33:51But for someone who loves numbers,
33:53and I'm very glad that you've come to my show
33:56after a very long time, Sanju Verma.
33:58So I'll go back into a little bit of history
34:01in terms of chronology.
34:02I'm not saying there is...
34:04And we'll ask our producers to play out those graphics
34:06in terms of how Sanju Verma...
34:09Now, is this divine intervention or is this just timing
34:12or is it just happenstance?
34:14That in the last 10 years...
34:16And Sanju Verma, you know, me and my team have actually sat down
34:18and looked at data in the last 10 years.
34:21Every state that has gone into election, leave alone one.
34:25There has been central agency action
34:28in the three months preceding the polls.
34:33Okay. Priti, can I start?
34:35Sure ma'am.
34:36Sure ma'am.
34:37Yes.
34:38Nice to be on your show after quite a bit.
34:40You know, first let me say that I was listening to Shoghata Roy
34:45and I was appalled at the language that he used.
34:48Third class leadership of BJP.
34:51BJP is a third class party.
34:54ED is an organization which is bankam, bogus, baseless.
34:59I will not call Shoghata Roy a third class leader because he's 78 years old.
35:05He's a sitting member of parliament.
35:07But Shoghata Roy was not speaking like a senior Trinamul congress leader.
35:12Shoghata Roy was speaking like a Sarak Chhaap.
35:15But I don't want to turn this debate into a Sarak Chhaap debate.
35:19Let me get to the moot point.
35:22Shoghata Roy and the entire Trinamul bandwagon says,
35:26Call scam is another thing.
35:28IPAC is a different case.
35:30Why link the two?
35:31First thing that your audience needs to know is this.
35:35There is call theft that is happening in Eastern Call Fields Limited,
35:40which is situated in West Bengal.
35:43Call stolen from Eastern Call Fields is being supplied to factories in Bankura, Purulia and Borthaman.
35:52These factories are owned by whom?
35:54These factories are owned by Deepak Agarwal's company called Shakhambari Ispatan Power.
36:02Now, where does IPAC come in?
36:05The money that is made by selling this illegal coal to the Shakhambari Ispatan Power Group,
36:14that money is routed through a Havala operator.
36:18Who is this Havala operator?
36:20The man is Prateek Jain.
36:23Who is Prateek Jain?
36:25Prateek Jain is the Katha-Dharta of IPAC.
36:29How is Trinamul Congress related?
36:31IPAC is now the political consultancy arm for all practical purposes of the TMC.
36:39So is there a link between TMC, between Deepak Agarwal, between Prateek Jain, between the stolen coal from Eastern Call Fields and money laundering?
36:51Yes, there is a clear money laundering case that has been established.
36:55The third point which I want to make, Priti, is very important.
36:59It is this.
37:00The most important reference point in any money laundering case is the Vijay Madanlal Chaudhary versus Union of India case of 2022.
37:11The Supreme Court always says when there is confusion with respect to PMLA cases, refer to the Vijay Madanlal Chaudhary case.
37:18Where the Supreme Court has said why in section 16, 17, 18 of the PMLA, the ED has sweeping paths to conduct search and seizure operations.
37:29So if Mr. Saugata Roy says that the ED was trespassing, Mr. Saugata Roy has very poor knowledge of the law and needs to educate himself.
37:39The fourth point, any accusation under the PMLA, the burden of proof under section 24 lies with the person or entity that is accused that is under section 24 of the PMLA.
37:55So it is not the ED which has to prove that it is doing its job well, which it is.
38:00Fair point.
38:01It is Pratik Jen who has to prove that there was no Havala operation being run on PMC's behalf by him.
38:08And my final point is this.
38:10Under section 19 of the PMLA, the investigative authority in this case, the ED has to simply explain why a person has been investigated or arrested after 24 hours of the arrest.
38:28In this case, the arrest has not yet been made.
38:30So the ED actually has acted very judiciously.
38:33And my final point, Preeti, is this.
38:35Mamata Banerjee is the same leader who on the 30th of December 2025 had the audacity to tell,
38:43Arrey, this Amitsha is hiding in a hotel.
38:45Thank God we have not kidnapped him.
38:47Thank God he was allowed to hold a rally.
38:49If we wanted, he would not even have come out of his hotel.
38:53This is the sharp language used by Mamata Banerjee.
38:56Okay.
38:57She has forgotten.
38:58All right.
38:59Ma'am, allow me to bring in our other panelists.
39:00She is the second Chief Minister.
39:02Okay.
39:03Ma'am, I want to cut across.
39:04Preeti, one minute.
39:05Preeti, just five seconds.
39:06Five seconds.
39:07You always tell me, Sanju Verma, I love your debates.
39:09You always tell me, Sanju Verma, we need to maintain decorum.
39:12Tell me, calling the entire DJP leadership third class, Preeti.
39:16Okay.
39:17Do you think Saugat Aroy was right?
39:19Ma'am, okay.
39:20The point is what I think doesn't really matter, but I will circle back to the question that I asked you about.
39:24I will come back.
39:25Ma'am, allow me to expand the panel and I'll circle back to the question that I asked you.
39:29Is it chronology?
39:30Is it just happens?
39:31Or is it just timing?
39:32Is it happenstance that in the last 10 years, every state that has gone into election save two,
39:38have seen action of central agencies two to three months before elections?
39:43It's just trivia, a fact, which we'll come back to.
39:48Mohamed Salim, senior leader, CPIM, thank you there for joining us, sir.
39:51Mr. Salim, what's the take of the CPIM on this?
39:55Because your own party have constantly criticized central agency misuse.
39:59Where does your party stand today, sir?
40:01You have to make it very clear.
40:04Already, many people have pointed out, you yourself also, the timing.
40:08You are showing on the screen.
40:10Timing is important.
40:11Because, and then, persecution and conviction.
40:15So, the ED or the CBI have lost its credibility, its public knowledge now.
40:21Because in Bengal, before this, there were the questions of this teacher's recruitment scam.
40:26Then there's Narda, Swarda, cheat fund scam.
40:30But in so many cases, we have found that this drama, theater, high-pitched theater by BJP or TMC,
40:39or the Sunni government and the state government.
40:41There's nothing to do with the people's issues and concerns.
40:44You have seen ED and CBI rating earlier.
40:48And this drama by Mamata Vaynerchi.
40:51When it was case of, you mentioned it, Rajiv Kumar's case.
40:54Mamata went there when he was the police commissioner.
40:58We have seen this when this case of Sandeshkhali.
41:10There also, when the CBI went, you have seen how these goons were mobilized
41:15and police were mobilized for the criminals.
41:18Mamata is famous for, as the chief minister, going to the public,
41:27lock-up, police lock-up, and snatching the culprits from the police custody.
41:32This is what we have seen.
41:36Okay, we are having a bit of a problem with the output of Mr. Mohamed Saleem.
41:41You're going to try and go back to that.
41:42But it's a tightrope walk for the left, because political need to criticize Mamata Vaynerji and the TMC.
41:48And then, of course, what the larger charge has been for them,
41:51which is taking on the central government on what they claim is misuse of central agencies.
41:56Niladri Bhattacharya Ji, the fact is, one can look at the timing, criticize the timing.
42:03That doesn't change the nature of the case and the facts on paper.
42:08In this particular case, the charges are very, very strong in terms of how it all ties up together.
42:15That coal scam money was routed through Havala, through IPAC, which is a consultancy, to fund a campaign in Goa for your party, the TMC.
42:27That's a great charge, sir, which warrants an investigation.
42:29Why has it been brought up suddenly?
42:32Some would suggest it hasn't been brought up suddenly, because the dots have always been there and they are being connected.
42:38You've had the likes of Abhishek Banerjee, who have been questioned for years now, on the coal scam with both the ED and the CBI.
42:48Sir, you're on mute.
42:54It is not the TMC party which is on the dock.
42:57It is an investigation into a coal scam.
42:59The FIR is of 2020.
43:01All the accused are out on bail.
43:04And the timing, why it is very important, because we have seen that whenever, especially in Bengal and the non-VJP ruled states, just before the elections, these agencies like CBI, ED and other things, they just wake up.
43:19This file was in coal storage.
43:21And today morning, they decided that we have to have a raid on IPAC.
43:25Because why?
43:26J.P. Randa also arrived today morning to Calcutta.
43:29Please see the chronology.
43:30To quote the famous Home Minister of Chronology,
43:33J.P. Randa arrives in Calcutta today, and today the ED raid starts.
43:37Mamata Randa is protesting on one thing, that you have a raid on IPAC, but don't try to take away the internal strategies, the party documents of the TMC from the IPAC.
43:49IPAC has everything, because IPAC has been helping us since 2019 onwards, with tremendous success.
43:55This is a way, directly from the BJP, to have a backdoor entry into the working of the TMC.
44:02See, this is a politically bankrupt party.
44:04They have realized that they cannot fight us politically.
44:06But you know, Mr. Bhattacharjee, I'm going to go back to our panelists, and I'm going to give everyone, but I want to ask you one thing.
44:10You're saying it's a backdoor entry, but the sheer fact, for a chief minister, which is a constitutional post, you actually, you know, a pun on backdoor entry.
44:18Take the backdoor to a building, which is being raided by a central investigative agency, and you walk out with files.
44:24Pritheev, don't see her as the chief minister, see her as the head of the party, and she's trying to protect her party documents.
44:30I don't know how does, no, no, no, sir, I don't know how that helps.
44:36That just makes it worse, I would think, because you're also the party president as well as the chief minister.
44:42I want to get final comments from all our panelists there. Sanju Verma, I'll come back again.
44:47You know, let's say the facts of the case on paper are correct, but the timing of it, Sanju Verma, let me ask you the first question that I asked you.
44:55Ten years, every election, opposition parties to the BJP raided two or three months before an election.
45:01Documented facts, Sanju Verma.
45:04Pritheev, let's get one thing very clear.
45:07Is Arvind Kejriwal, has he been given a clean shit? Manish Risodhya, has he been given a clean shit?
45:12Has Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, have they been given a clean shit in the National Herald's Camp? No.
45:17Has Abhishek Banerjee been given a clean shit? Actually, the Supreme Court fined him for wasting the court's time.
45:23You know, has Vaibhav Gaylord been given a clean shit by the courts? No.
45:27Has Bhupesh Bagel, the former Congress CM of Chhattisgarh been given a clean shit? No.
45:31No. Being out on bail does not mean that you have been declared innocent by the court.
45:37All these leaders who are being probed by the enforcement director are simply out on bail.
45:42No, Pritheev, you have to be 10 seconds more. Can I please take 10 seconds more?
45:47I just want to say one thing. When the SSC recruitment scam broke out, naming Partha Chatterjee, the then education minister under Mamata Banerjee,
45:57she said, Partha Chatterjee is from blood from blood. Finally, Partha Chatterjee was convicted.
46:04And the parties of...
46:05Sir, don't talk over each other. Please, I'll give you your time.
46:08Please, just not fair.
46:09You have 10 seconds, ma'am. Can I just get Sanju Verma? Make your point. Sanju Verma.
46:12Partha Chatterjee, out on bail in SSC recruitment scam. Anupratta Mandal, senior TNC leader, out on bail in the cattle smuggling scam.
46:24Mamata Banerjee's own nephew, Abhishek Banerjee, out on bail in the teacher recruitment scam.
46:31All right, I'm running out of time, ma'am.
46:33Two seconds. I demand through your show that under section 238 and 241 of the Bhartya Nyaya Sarmita for decamping with evidence, destroying electronic evidence and obstructing public personnel, Mamata Banerjee should be arrested.
46:51Mam, the case is in court tomorrow. The case is in court. I want to bring in Mohamed Salim. You name all the leaders who have been raided and the cases are still open.
46:58But once again, when it comes down to conviction, once again, I'm just quoting facts where politicians, opposition politicians are concerned.
47:06It's abysmal. It's a 3% conviction of the ED. But again, these are just facts.
47:11Mohamed Salim, final comments.
47:13Whether the ED has filed an FIR against Mamata Banerjee and the police commissioner of both Calcutta and Vidhan Nagar, who obstructed this because they are discharging their own duties? No.
47:26Secondly, we are talking about Abhishek Banerjee, Sanju Verma, but why his premises was not raided, even when 300 crores were seized by the lifts and bounds company?
47:37But they could not. And then the question is, all these culprits are now outside, even in coal scam, even in cattle smuggling case, even in this Anupratas case, even in the teacher scam case, because ED and CBI with high drama, they build up this.
47:54But they fail to collect evidence and prove it and prosecute it.
48:00They have not been declared innocent, sir.
48:02Now also, after these eight hours, why a fire was not lost? It should have been lost again.
48:10What Mamata did is a blatantly illegal thing. Then it is government file. Why government file was there inside this Pratik Jain's case?
48:19Pratik Jain's case may be a client, may be a master of the TMC, may be a consultant.
48:23Okay. Fair point.
48:25Pratik Jain, as you have seen the comments…
48:26Nelandra Patacharya Ji, final comments, I need to take a break. Go ahead.
48:29Priti, please understand.
48:31Mr. Saleh, hold on.
48:33Priti, please understand.
48:34They are merciful. They are merciful. They are not…
48:36So, we said all consultants are political mercenaries. Go ahead. Make your point.
48:40All this. Priti, from 2013-14, this political bickering has started. Until now, in none of the cases, either the CBI or the ED has filed the final charge sheet.
48:51They just want to linger and keep the issue open. And as far as Vijay Madalala's charge is concerned in the 2023 judgment, that judgment has been watered down by subsequent judgments of the Supreme Court.
49:02ED and CBI don't want to close a case. They are not interested in investigating. They are only interested in flogging a dead horse.
49:09Because they want to keep these issues alive for elections. There is no justice. And as for the conviction in the ED is concerned, it is less than…
49:16Okay.
49:18All right. I'm going to leave it.
49:20And I'm speaking facts.
49:21I'm speaking facts.
49:22Okay. I'm going to leave it both.
49:23Okay. Thank you. I appreciate all four of you for taking the time out and joining us. The issue's not over. Tomorrow's another day. We'd love to have you back.
49:31But let's listen in right now to one of the country's most prominent lawyers, Mahesh Jait Malani, who has launched a scathing attack on Mamata Banerjee, in conversation with my colleague, Maria.
49:44The elections in Bengal are on the anvil, not very far away. And given the stakes which are there, is this not really indicative of what the chief minister is saying, that this could be a potential witch hunt?
50:01I was at a witch hunt, Maria, with respect. I don't understand that question because this is an investigating agency, right? And it's too early to say whether it's a witch hunt.
50:11They have information, right, regarding the commission of offenses under the PMLA. They're duty bound to investigate it. All they've done is gone there and asked for documents.
50:25If the documents are innocuous, why would you come there with police officers and snatch them away? You've committed house trespass and theft and criminal intimidation. Which chief minister does that?
50:36Other chief ministers have been subjected to investigations and inquiries by the ED, but they don't behave in this manner. I mean, Mamata always behaves. Last time she did it with Shah Jahan Sheikh.
50:47I mean, the TMC did it. They caused grievous injury to three ED officers. I mean, you're not at war with the center. You're electoral allies. But all right, I mean, you know, it's not as if Mamata Banerjee hasn't arrested BJP party members and so on and so forth.
51:04It's not as if she doesn't use the police to do the same thing.
51:09Mr. Jit Bilani, Mamata Banerjee, knowing how she has often used these issues to her advantage, she's again playing the victim card.
51:18See, she's saying that this is what the central home ministry is doing to try and capture Bengal because they cannot win in the people's court.
51:30Well, perhaps she can. No, but what is the people's court? Ultimately, voters, right? The voters will decide the perception. She has a perception. There's another perception on the other side. Ultimately, going to the polls, the question of deciding by the voters which perception is correct.
51:46If this is a witch hunt, they will not vote the BJP in. If they feel that Mamata is running away from crimes, they will vote her out, assuming that everybody takes crime seriously in West Bengal.
52:01All right, the matter now is in court tomorrow where all three parties, TMC, Enforcement Directorate and IPAC have approached the court while politically there is on the streets, you have the TMC, Mamata Banerjee taking out a protest march against the central government and central agencies and the BJP as well against Mamata Banerjee and the TMC.
52:24Quick celebrations today erupted in Jammu after the National Medical Commission withdrew MBBS approvals for Shri Matan Mahishnudevi Institute of Medical Excellence.
52:35The move followed complaints and a surprise inspection that flagged infrastructure and compliance gaps.
52:41While the Sangharsh Samiti is hailing it as a victory, students and families are distraught, saying they are being punished.
52:54Celebrations erupted in Jammu after the National Medical Commission withdrew MBBS approval for Shri Matan Mahishnudevi Institute of Medical Excellence amid a row over admission of Muslim students.
53:11This comes following multiple complaints and a surprise inspection by the NMC, which found alleged violations of norms and non-compliance with minimum standards.
53:24Sources tell India today that the inspection team flagged deficiencies in infrastructure, bed strength, patient load, office and academic spaces, and noted that hostile facilities were makeshift.
53:38Students and their families have expressed disappointment, calling the action unjust.
53:43The decision is very unfortunate.
53:45We were growing good.
53:46The faculties were very good.
53:49Now, we didn't know how about shifting, we noticed on a regular basis that the college is closed.
53:54So, that's a heartbreaking news.
53:56This decision will ruin the�� goal of Jammu and Kashmir.
54:00We are very sad for students.
54:02We are very sad.
54:05The government is so angry that we will move to another medical college.
54:09Obviously, they were very disheartened to take this decision.
54:14Out of the 50 students admitted to the college, on the basis of NEET, last year, 42 were Muslims and 8 were Hindus.
54:25There had been protests against the medical college over the admissions.
54:29A BJP delegation and members of the Shri Matavashno Devi Sangharsh Samithi had met Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda.
54:36The Sangharsh Samithi, which had led the agitation against the college, is celebrating the NMC's decision, calling it a victory for their struggle.
54:46The activists of Shri Matavashno Devi Sangharsh Samithi have erupted in joy here in Jammu.
55:09You can see that the activists are celebrating, they are dancing to the tunes of drum beats.
55:15They are also showing victory signs.
55:17The agitation, the 45-day agitation of Shri Matavashno Devi Sangharsh Samithi has been successful.
55:23And now, the activists of the Samithi are celebrating this occasion.
55:28Jammu in Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah took a jibe at the celebrations.
55:32As the controversy continues, the question remains, is the closure of a medical college
56:02something to rejoice?
56:04Could the government have explored other solutions?
56:08Vetsunil Jibhat, Bureau Report, India Today.
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