- 10 months ago
In this episode of To The Point, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra addresses the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on the political consultancy firm I-PAC, accusing the BJP-led central government of weaponising agencies to sabotage the TMC's strategy for the 2026 Bengal polls.
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00:00All right, let's cut across right now to Lok Sabha MP, TMC, Mahua Moitra.
00:10Mahua, along with other TMC MPs, was protesting this morning in front of the Home Ministry.
00:15The TMC MPs were dragged, they were detained, they were protesting what the TMC claims is unfair use
00:22or the weaponization of central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and the action that was taken
00:27in West Bengal, where IPAC was concerned.
00:31IPAC is a consultancy which TMC has been consulting with for a very long time.
00:37All right, we're going to just cut across to Mahua Moitra in just about a minute,
00:40but these were the visuals that were recorded this morning.
00:43Multiple protest views that are taking place.
00:45One, right outside the Parliament, which you saw this morning, these were TMC MPs protesting
00:50outside the Home Ministry on what they called was the weaponization and the misuse of central agencies.
00:55And then the other, you had Mamata Banerjee who took out a protest march against what,
01:00once again, TMC claims is the misuse and the weaponization of central agencies like the Enforcement Directorate.
01:07All right, Mahua Moitra, Lok Sabha MP joins us right now.
01:10Ms. Moitra, thank you for taking the time out and joining us this evening.
01:13I clearly see you've been released, you were detained earlier.
01:17Can you hear me, Ms. Moitra?
01:21Yes, I can.
01:22This is a recording, right, Preeti?
01:23No, ma'am, we are going live.
01:25Is that okay?
01:26Yes, I can hear you.
01:27This is a recording, right?
01:29We are going live, ma'am.
01:30We are going live.
01:30Okay, I think we are going for now.
01:32No, no, we are live.
01:33It's live television.
01:34Okay, that's fine.
01:34Okay, let's go.
01:35All right.
01:35Okay, the first question, Ms. Moitra, what you, you know, you and your other fellow MPs
01:40protested today that is in the ambit of constitution, you have every right to do so.
01:44What happened on the streets of Kolkata where Mamata Banerjee led a march, you have every right to protest.
01:49What you feel and deem is unfair use or weaponization of central agencies.
01:54But, Ms. Moitra, what is questionable and under scrutiny and should be condemnable, many would suggest,
02:01is a constitutional post of the chief minister walking in, barging into a building which is being investigated
02:07and coming in the way of a central agency carrying out or dispensing its duties, the charge of the ED.
02:18What investigation?
02:20I mean, what are you talking about?
02:22The BJP is using every single pill, every single agency.
02:28They have now captured every single agency, every single institution mechanism,
02:33whether it's the election commission, whether it's the CBI, whether it's the enforcement directorate
02:37and they're using it to crush the opposition.
02:40What you saw yesterday was no investigation being carried on by the ED.
02:45The ED is apparently carrying on some six or seven year old cold scam investigation,
02:50which they are doing on the eve of the Bengal election.
02:53What were you doing for six or seven years?
02:55A. What is the predicate offense?
02:57Which is the main FIR on which they are coming in?
03:00ED can't come in on its own.
03:01They need a predicate offense.
03:03Which cold scam are they investigating?
03:05They have just given an ECR number.
03:07Second, IPAC is nothing to do with the cold scam.
03:11IPAC is not like it's a money lender of the Trinamul.
03:15IPAC is a contractually bound agency which Trinamul Congress has hired
03:21and works with purely for election strategy.
03:25That is no secret.
03:26To say that IPAC is an agency engaged in dealing with selling salt sellers
03:31or doing cement business is ridiculous.
03:34Everyone knows IPAC's offices are TMC's election offices.
03:38That is very clear.
03:40The enforcement directorate came in yesterday.
03:43What did they do?
03:45They came in on the pretext of some flimsy ECR
03:48and they are carrying on raids for a seven-year-old investigation preview.
03:53Does anyone believe this is feasible on the eve of an election when an SIR is going on?
03:58When all the parties survey our candidate list, our election strategy,
04:04everything is on the computers and in the files contained in the physical offices
04:09and obviously with Prateek Jain who is in charge of IPAC who is heading our strategy in West Bengal.
04:15Number one.
04:15The second thing is the ED is coming in in the morning
04:18and they were in the offices of Prateek Jain from in the house
04:22and in the offices from I think 6 o'clock in the morning to 11.45 in the morning.
04:27Our chief minister is not just the chief minister.
04:30Our chief minister is also the head of our party.
04:33When your house is being robbed, Priti, you have every right under the law
04:38to the right of self-defense to prevent your house from being robbed
04:42and your belongings from being taken away.
04:44What the enforcement directorate was doing was coming in and pure and simple political loot,
04:50political robbery and political espionage.
04:53If they were going to take the electronic devices and the information relating to our strategy
04:59and our data for the election and go and give it to the BJP,
05:02which is irretrievably lost.
05:05Mamata Banerjee is the leader of the party, has every right to go in there
05:08and try and retrieve what is going on there.
05:11What constitutional post are you talking about?
05:13But no, let me explain that, Ms. Moitra.
05:15Are you making a distinction then that Mamata Banerjee went into the office of the IPAC
05:19which was being raided by the enforcement directorate
05:22in the capacity of a party chief and not as a constitutional post of the chief minister?
05:27Because the argument, if a chief minister does this, federalism is a two-way street.
05:32Yes, she is already.
05:33And a chief minister doing this will set a dangerous precedent.
05:36She went in, she went in, she is also the head of the party chief.
05:42She is also, when Amit Shah is the home minister of the country.
05:45Amit Shah is the home minister of the country and Narendra Modi is the prime minister of the country.
05:50During the 2024 elections, Narendra Modi as a prime minister of a secular constitutional democracy
05:57stands in Baswara and says the most ugly mulla, katwa mulla, mangal sutra,
06:06terrible words for Muslims, dog whistling of the worst order as the BJP campaigner in head.
06:12Or does he say it in the capacity of a prime minister?
06:14If he is saying in the capacity of a constitutional head, as the capacity of a prime minister,
06:18why are you not making a distinction then?
06:20Then you say, no, no, no, this is campaign season.
06:22Everything is all fair because he is saying it as the capacity of a BJP campaigner in chief.
06:27In this case, it is Mamata Banerjee who is also the chief minister who is also the head of our party.
06:31You are the head of a party whose entire election data, election strategy is being stolen in front of your eyes illegally
06:38by political espionage, by political loot, by enforcement directorate who has no business coming in there.
06:45If they have got something to give, let them send a notice on the coal scam to Pratik Jain.
06:50What has Pratik Jain got to do with the coal scam?
06:53And where was IPAC when apparently the whole coal scam was going on?
06:56Do you think anyone believes this kind of rubbish?
06:58Pratik Jain, you had Imanta Bisa Sarma who was in the Lewis Berger case.
07:03You had Shwendu Adhikari.
07:05You had Ajit Pawar who was in a 70,000-cloor scam.
07:09You had Narayan Rane.
07:10What happened?
07:11What is the ED doing with all these people?
07:13And after seven years in the middle of SIR, in the middle of our election strategy,
07:17you are coming in and trying to take the documents and trying to take the data of the Trinamool Congress.
07:22And you are trying to tell us that we are obstructing you?
07:25You are robbing our house.
07:27And Mamata Banerjee is the only person, the only person, Preeti,
07:31who has got the guts to stand up to this kind of BJP thaggari and BJP loot.
07:35Everybody puts their tail between their legs and runs.
07:37Imanta Bisa Sarma ran.
07:39Prabhupul Patel ran.
07:41Ajit Pawar ran.
07:42Nobody has the guts to fight the ED and the CBI.
07:44We are the only people who take them on head on.
07:47And that's what they are scaring.
07:48If we have done something wrong, why did ED not file an FIR yesterday?
07:52If Mamata Banerjee has destroyed evidence and obstructed justice according to the law, ED should have filed an FIR.
08:00But the enforcement director has gone to court, like you have gone to court, like IPAC has gone to court.
08:08And the enforcement director also.
08:09Why have they gone to court?
08:10Why have they gone to court?
08:11For obstructing of evidence by the TMC and the chief minister.
08:15We have gone to court also.
08:16We have gone to court also.
08:17One minute, one minute.
08:19We have also gone to court.
08:20We have three cases that are going to court.
08:22It's not the main thing.
08:22We have gone to court, but we have filed an FIR also.
08:25West Bengal police has filed three FIRs against the ED.
08:29That you have come in, you have taken our proprietary information.
08:32Why has the ED, the first thing, if you are going on for an investigation and somebody comes in,
08:37if the police is doing its job and somebody comes in and stops it,
08:40the first thing the police does is to file an FIR that you are stopping a public servant from doing their job,
08:46A, B, obstruction in the way of investigation, C, obstruction of evidence.
08:52Why did the ED not file an FIR?
08:54Why are you going to court first?
08:56Because you want to hide under the fig leaf of the court,
08:58because you are dead scared that people see the truth and this will politically backfire.
09:04But Ms. Moitra, the enforcement director has also claimed that the court could not even hear the case today,
09:11because there was so much confusion and chaos caused by the cadre of the TMC.
09:15Let me go.
09:16The court, the court, the high court of Calcutta is perfectly capable of taking care of itself.
09:22But the case was suspended because there was too much chaos in court today.
09:26Right?
09:28No, no, ma'am.
09:29So the high court has given another date.
09:31The high court is completely, how many, one minute, one minute.
09:33How many cases, if the high court is going on, the high court is fully capable of looking after what happens within its premises.
09:41We have seen what happens when the enforcement directorate has been hit on the head over and over again,
09:46repeatedly by the Supreme Court, saying, what are you doing going in here?
09:50Every single day the enforcement directorate is hit on the head by the Supreme Court,
09:54wrapped on the knuckle, saying you are overstepping your jurisdictions,
09:57you are doing things where you have nothing to do, where there is no confession, where there is no nothing,
10:01you are doing anything you like.
10:02Who is the ED to speak on behalf of the court?
10:05All right.
10:05If the court has got something to say, the court is very well equipped.
10:08All right.
10:08So, okay, it was suspended today because there was way too much chaos which was caused by the cadre of the TNC.
10:13You and I and the ED doesn't need to be the high court speaker.
10:14Okay.
10:14Ms. Moitra, let me just get you down to the charge.
10:16On what is the charge?
10:18There are PMLA rules that apply.
10:20PMLA we can contest is a draconian law.
10:22No, Ms. Moitra, where the charge is concerned, we can contest that PMLA is a draconian law,
10:28but the ED is well within its right to act under the purview of the law of the PMLA, which it did.
10:33Now, the charge as per the ED is grave, where they say that money was funneled,
10:38coal scam money was funneled through IPAC to fund your campaign in the last election of Goa.
10:44And it doesn't just add up there because Abhishek Banerjee has also been sent multiple notices by the ED
10:50where the coal scam is concerned.
10:52So, the ED is saying that we are trying to close the loop.
10:56All right.
10:59All right.
10:59So, one second.
11:00The ED is called Abhishek a total of 19 times.
11:04The Goa election, if I remember, was in February 2022.
11:08We are now in 2026.
11:10We are in the middle of the Bengal election, which is a hotly contested election,
11:14which the BJP knows very well that it's going to lose.
11:17The BJP has looted Haryana, has looted Chhattisgarh,
11:21Chhattisgarh has looted Maharashtra.
11:24And also, after doing SIR in Bihar, they want to come in and do something absolutely spectacular in Bengal
11:30to disturb everyone, to make sure that they can get their foot in the door.
11:34They thought SIR will be that weapon.
11:36They find that they can't do it with SIR because we are obviously on the ground.
11:40So, what are they doing?
11:41They are trying to come in on the last minute.
11:42Tell me something.
11:43If they are indeed following, is this not grossly improper and highly suspicious
11:48that on the eve of the election, in a four-year, the Goa election was 2022.
11:54It's taken you four years to suddenly discover that Prateek Jain was funneling coal scam money.
11:59It's taken you four years to discover that.
12:02And Himanta Bisa Sarma, whose everything was filed in the Lewis Berger case,
12:06is today Assam Chief Minister.
12:08And Ajit Pawar, 70,000 crores, Amit Shah himself said that
12:12Ms. Maitra, you're making a fair point.
12:15And today he's the Deputy Chief Minister and holding it in.
12:19No, ma'am, you're making a fair point which you can't protest.
12:23No, I'll add to it because what we've actually done is in the last 10 years,
12:27we've gone through each and every election that has taken place in the country.
12:30And we have seen that save two elections.
12:3498% of ED cases are against the opposition.
12:35Right, but you can protest that.
12:3798% of ED cases are against the opposition.
12:40Right, so what we have seen is save two elections.
12:43Action has been taken by central agencies against opposition party,
12:47whether it's been incumbent or in opposition to the BJP.
12:51And it's happened two or three months before election.
12:53It's open to contest.
12:54You can come here and you can thread the chronology
12:57and you can ask questions of the central agency and the government.
13:00But what many would suggest is sinister.
13:04Is if a constitutional post comes in the way of a central agency dispensing their duties
13:10because then you set precedence.
13:11Tomorrow, what stops any other chief minister of coming in the way of a central agency?
13:16Priti, what precedent are we?
13:18Priti, which world are we living in?
13:20Priti, we are living, what are you talking about?
13:22We are living in a world where the ruling party and the government
13:26has broken down every single institution.
13:30Where there is no rule of law, they have broken down every rule,
13:34every institution, every institutional mechanism
13:36has been systematically decimated by this government.
13:40Whether it is choosing the chief justice with a panel,
13:44choosing the election commissioner where you need the chief justice,
13:46they have removed him.
13:47Whether it is choosing the head of the CBI,
13:49every single thing.
13:51Look at the UNB.
13:51But by that argument, you are playing in the same field there.
13:54Every single amendment they have made.
13:55They have, hear me out, hear me out.
13:57No, no, you need to hear me out.
13:59So when the ED acts like this,
14:01when they use agencies to do illegal things,
14:03are we going to sit back and be eaten up by them?
14:06I am sorry.
14:08I am not naming other parties,
14:09but we are not like the other parties
14:11who keel over and bow to the BJP.
14:13Trinamul Congress is different.
14:14Mamata Banerjee is different.
14:15We are made of different metal.
14:17The BJP is not going to darao us and dhamkao us
14:19and we are going to sit there and be being monkeys out of.
14:22You come into our house and try and rob us,
14:24you have us to deal with.
14:26We are responsible for the people of Bengal.
14:28You are cutting 58 lakh votes.
14:311.34 overnight are going away in logical discrepancies.
14:35You have no answer.
14:36You are hiring a private agency from Gujarat
14:39to go door to door to get data.
14:41And the chief election commissioner is telling us
14:42I am not even aware of it.
14:44But Ms. Moitra, do you agree this is dangerous territory then?
14:46You are in the BJP has to contest with the...
14:48This is dangerous...
14:49Okay, do you agree then?
14:50That this is dangerous territory.
14:52Do you now agree at least that this is dangerous territory?
14:54Do I agree what?
14:55It is dangerous territory.
14:56We are living in dangerous territory.
14:59We are protecting...
14:59We are...
15:00Preeti.
15:01Preeti, we are living in dangerous territory
15:03ever since 2014
15:05where we are dealing with a fascist government
15:07that has broken every constitutional rule in the book.
15:12Ms. Moitra, you speak about federalism.
15:14Federalism is a two-way street, ma'am.
15:16And protecting our party in a democracy.
15:20A secularism is a two-way street.
15:22Federalism.
15:22Federalism is a two-way street.
15:24You speak about federalism.
15:25Namta Banerjee is the first one to talk about...
15:27Yes, of course federalism is a two-way street.
15:29So federalism is a two-way street.
15:31Which is why under everything...
15:34When in federalism...
15:35What would happen in federalism?
15:36When agencies came in, what would they do?
15:39What would the CBI first do?
15:41That they would come in,
15:42they would work with the local police and come in.
15:44What have they done?
15:45Every single federal structure they have systematically destroyed.
15:49What have they just done with Manrega?
15:51They would have to pay...
15:52They would pay 100% of the wage cost
15:56and they would pay 75-25 state and thing.
15:59What have they done with this new VG RAM bill?
16:01They have made 60-40.
16:02So a state now where it was paying 750 crores
16:06has to pay 4,000 crores.
16:07But Ms. Moitro...
16:08You are telling us about federalism?
16:09They have destroyed the federal structure.
16:11It is only because of a few leaders like
16:12Mamta Banerjee who are there.
16:14But it has not just happened, Ms. Moitro.
16:16The argument is that Mamta Banerjee and the TMC
16:19has resisted central agencies right from the word go.
16:22There is a whole chronology to it.
16:24You can go all the way back
16:25where the dharna for the police commissioner...
16:26Of course we will resist the central agencies.
16:30Has the...
16:31One second.
16:32Of course we will resist them.
16:33Of course we will resist them 100,000 times.
16:36Because they are not central agencies.
16:37They are puppets.
16:38They are Dalals.
16:39They are political espionage tools
16:40of the Home Minister and the Prime Minister
16:42and the BJP and the ruling government.
16:44Of course we are going to resist them.
16:45What do you think we are?
16:46What do you think we are?
16:47We think we are Ajit Pabar.
16:48You think we are Praful Patel.
16:49You think we are Himanta Bisa Sarma.
16:51That we are scared of being in jail
16:52and we are going to go running after them
16:54the minute they threaten us with a danda.
16:55Look what they did to me, Preeti.
16:58They sent me CBI, ED, everything.
17:00Today they are sending Pernake ED notices.
17:02What are we supposed to do?
17:03Cow down or fight back?
17:05We have had enough of their nonsense.
17:07We do not get our power from them.
17:09Let the BJP understand this.
17:11The BJP gets its power from their agencies.
17:13Mamata Banerjee gets its power
17:15from the people of Bengal.
17:16The Trinamool gets its power
17:18from the people of Bengal.
17:19And we are committed and duty-bound
17:21to protect our party and the people of Bengal.
17:24And we will do whatever it takes
17:26to protect our information
17:28and our electoral strategy
17:29to win the 2026 elections.
17:32Whatever it takes.
17:33Mamata Banerjee is a tigress Preeti.
17:35Nobody else would have the guts to do this.
17:37Let me tell you.
17:38Nobody else.
17:39Well, the point is it's unprecedented.
17:41And so let me end with this question.
17:44Miss Moitra, do you agree it's unprecedented?
17:45Of course it's unprecedented
17:46because we've never dealt with a situation
17:48This will set a precedent
17:49which we've never seen before.
17:51Where a fascist government
17:52has destroyed every opposition.
17:53That's also unprecedented.
17:55Yeah, because we've never had
17:56a fascist government
17:57that is hell-bent on destroying
17:59every opposition party.
18:00That's also unprecedented.
18:02So when you have unprecedented situations,
18:03we have to fight with unprecedented means.
18:05What are we supposed to do?
18:06Just lie back and get shot.
18:08Is that what you're suggesting?
18:09All right.
18:11Okay.
18:12Thank you, Miss Moitra,
18:13for taking the time out and joining us.
18:15Appreciate it.
18:15Thank you so much.
18:17All right.
18:18Let's cut across now
18:20and give you a sense of what happened
18:22through the course of the day.
18:23I was speaking to Mawa Moitra.
18:24She was one of the many MPs of the TMC
18:27that protested outside Home Ministry,
18:29once again, claiming that the action
18:33that has been taken
18:33is the weaponization of central agencies.
18:36While what happened in West Bengal
18:37was something quite the same.
18:39Mamata Banerjee took out a protest march.
18:42And there were three cases
18:43that were to be held
18:44in the High Court in Kolkata,
18:47where the TMC had gone to court,
18:49IPAC had gone to court,
18:50ED had gone to court,
18:51suggesting that the Chief Minister and TMC
18:54was obstructing them
18:56from dispensing their duties.
18:58Well, the hearing was suspended
18:59because the TMC carder
19:01caused abject chaos.
19:03This is how it all panned out.
19:07Kolkata streets choke with crowds.
19:28Slogans rip through the air.
19:29And at the head of the march
19:35is Chief Minister Hasef.
19:38High drama in Bengal
19:39after the Enforcement Directorate
19:41raided the office
19:42of political consultancy firm IPAC.
19:46Mamata Banerjee on Friday
19:47led a massive protest march
19:48from Jadavpur to Hazra,
19:50accusing the Narendra Modi government
19:52of weaponizing the ED
19:53to target the TMC.
19:55The confrontation
20:10is not limited to Bengal.
20:13Hours before Mamata's march,
20:14Trinamool MPs took to the streets
20:16in Delhi,
20:17protesting outside the Home Ministry,
20:19alleging when data politics...
20:20The Delhi police stepped in,
20:23taking the TMC leaders
20:24into custody temporarily.
20:30You see what is happening to MPs?
20:32All our MPs have been picked up.
20:34Stop!
20:34Come on!
20:35Come on!
20:36No!
20:36No!
20:36No!
20:36No!
20:37No!
20:37No!
20:38No!
20:38No!
20:38No!
20:38No!
20:38No!
20:39No!
20:39No!
20:39No!
20:40No!
20:40No!
20:40No!
20:40No!
20:41No!
20:41No!
20:41No!
20:41No!
20:42No!
20:42No!
20:43No!
20:43No!
20:44No!
20:44No!
20:45No!
20:45No!
20:46No!
20:46No!
20:47No!
20:48No!
20:48No!
20:49No!
20:50No!
20:51No!
20:52No!
20:53No!
20:54No!
20:55No!
20:56From the streets, the battle moves to the courtroom.
20:58The TMC and ED have approached the Calcutta High Court.
21:01Severe overcrowding, however, has forced an adjournment.
21:05The matter is now listed for January 14.
21:08Behind the protests and legal moves are explosive claims by the Enforcement Directorate.
21:13According to ED sources, tense scenes unfolded when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reached the
21:17raid site on Thursday.
21:19ED sources allege, the Chief Minister took away IPAC, Chief Pratik Jain's phone.
21:25The state DGP instructed ED officials not to record recoveries in the Panch Nama.
21:30ED officers were threatened with arrest if recoveries were shown.
21:34Three ED officials were allegedly outnumbered by dozens of state police personnel and the
21:39Chief Minister's Z security.
21:41ED claims intimidation and pressure to dilute the incident report.
21:45The DGP allegedly threatened FIRs against ED officers.
21:49Independent witnesses ED says were also harassed.
21:53The BJP has gone on the offensive.
21:56The entire action of the Chief Minister is not only unethical, irresponsible, unconstitutional,
22:09but she has put the entire democratic process and governance to shame.
22:15The BJP delegation met Governor CV Ananda Bose seeking immediate intervention,
22:19accusing Mamata Banerjee of unconstitutional conduct and misuse of the state police machinery.
22:25With courts stepping in, accusations flying thick and fast and tempers rising,
22:31the ED versus Mamata Banerjee showdown is far from over.
22:35This is going to be filed.
22:38Bureau Report, India Today.
22:40This is going to be filed.
22:44Alright viewers.
22:45While the TMC and Mamata Banerjee claim that this is a weaponization and misuse of central
22:50agencies right before an election, but what has also happened is unprecedented.
22:53Never in the history has a constitutional post like the Chief Minister tried to come in
22:58the way of a central agency dispensing their duties.
23:01Listen in to Swapandas Gupta, Senior Leader, BJP.
23:05Mr Das Gupta, you know, for example, what possibly gives Mamata Banerjee the confidence to do
23:14what she did yesterday, and no way can anyone justify what she did.
23:18But that confidence could come from the fact, and I'm only quoting data, you know, just on
23:23the source of journalistic inquisition, we took out 10 past elections that have happened.
23:28In fact, we took out data of all elections that have happened in the last 10 years.
23:32And saving two states, Mr Das Gupta, every state that has gone into election has seen action
23:38by investigative agencies on the opposition party, whether it's in the opposition or incumbent
23:44government to the BJP, face action by central agencies two to three months before elections.
23:50It's practically nearly every election in the last 10 years.
23:54Well, thank you for pointing out that.
23:57And I'm sure that's a very interesting observation.
23:59But what I want to point out is that, as far as I can make out, and what the ED has said,
24:05that these raids yesterday were in connection with the coal scam.
24:09A hideous scam which took place, it's been almost about a decade now it's been a new thing.
24:14And it's being monitored on a regular basis by the courts.
24:20So it's not something which has happened overnight.
24:23Now, you may say, why did they leave it to the last minute?
24:26I mean, that's a question anyone can ask.
24:29But there are issues which are there.
24:31There are investigations which are in the offing.
24:33And there are investigations which centre on both IPAC as well as the nephew of Mamta Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee.
24:44So, you know, I'm stunned by the silence of that gentleman on this thing.
24:50Because there are a lot of people who would say that this has something to do with him.
24:54But those are allegations.
24:55I'm not actually making a final assertion on that.
24:59But I would say that the BJP is fighting this election on its own.
25:05It's a political fight.
25:07There is a separate thing called the ED, which has its own agenda, which has its own brief, and its brief which they have fulfilled.
25:18And I don't think we should confuse that.
25:20If anyone in the BJP is making the connection that ED is what ED and the BJP are working hand in glove, I think they're making a very serious mistake.
25:30That's not the issue at all.
25:32Political fights are political fights.
25:34The enforcement director is the enforcement director.
25:37CBI is the CBI.
25:41Welcome back. You're watching To The Point.
25:43Now, the Women Vote Bank has always, especially in the recent past, played a very decisive role in India's elections.
25:49They can make or break an election.
25:52And to win that vote, parties offer, off late, a cash dole, direct cash transfers.
25:59And this has happened not in one state.
26:01Government after government, state after state, have launched women-centric schemes, especially right before an election.
26:08Let's start with the last election, where one thing was very clear.
26:12That it was the Ladki Bahi Neojana that won the Mahayuti, which is the BJP and the Shinde Sena combine the state of Maharashtra.
26:24Right ahead of the Maharashtra elections, the Mahayuti launched the Mukya Mantri Maji Ladki Bahin scheme, promising 1,500 a month to over 2.5 crore women.
26:34While it boosted political support, a recent review found over 26 lakh beneficiaries ineligible, cutting off payments for many and straining state finances.
26:46My colleague, Omkar Waable reports from Pune.
26:53Ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections, the Mahayuti Alliance launched the Mukya Mantri Maji Ladki Bahin scheme, allocating nearly 45,000 crore rupees.
27:08Under this program, around 2.5 crore women receive 1,500 rupees per month directly into their bank accounts.
27:17The scheme was announced by CM Eknath Chinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar to create a favourable environment ahead of the polls,
27:27especially after the Mahayuti government faced setbacks in the Lok Sabha elections.
27:32While the scheme helped the government gain political support and secure power again,
28:01women were asked to submit additional legal documents and complete KYC verification.
28:08Then came the setback following the review.
28:11Over 26 lakh women were removed from the program.
28:15Do you apply for people with their help?
28:17No, we are not.
28:19Do you have any help?
28:20No.
28:21Do you have any help before?
28:22No.
28:23Do we have any problems before?
28:24No, I've terry plans for KYC.
28:25Look, that's kind of a issue.
28:26Yes.
28:27Well, have you come with for someитikers?
28:28No.
28:30Not money?
28:31Not money money?
28:32No.
28:33No.
28:34Why don't you have money?
28:35We've come to pay tax, you have to pay pay for a month and to pay.
28:39The checkmate out on this program is a number of $10,000.
28:40It doesn't have a link.
28:41But I've made a number of money for a month and it's not.
28:44Not just beneficiaries, the Larki Behen scheme also put a financial strain on other government departments.
28:54MLA funds, for example, have not been released for the past six months.
28:59And contractors in public works and other departments are owed nearly 90,000 crore rupees.
29:14The government says the number of beneficiaries could decrease further.
29:32However, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has assured that the scheme is for women's welfare and will continue.
29:44And the government says the number of beneficiaries will continue in the past five years and will continue in the country's welfare and will continue in the country's welfare.
29:59The Mukhi Mantri Maaji Larki Behen scheme was approved in June-July 2024.
30:05It provides Rs 1,500 per month to women aged 21 to 65 from economically weaker sections, promoting financial independence, health, nutrition and decision-making at home.
30:21Payments are made directly via DBT.
30:24As of 2025, around 2.4 crore women are receiving the benefit, costing the government over Rs 3,000 crore per month.
30:32But India today has found that 26.34 lakh beneficiaries were found ineligible and removed.
30:42Over 2,200 government women employees were mistakenly receiving benefits and later removed.
30:49Cases of multiple beneficiaries from the same family, incorrect documents and more than 12,000 men receiving funds by mistake were also identified.
31:02When municipal corporation elections are approaching, government has already deposited two months of amount at the same time.
31:11And interestingly, they have started creating installments in advance of this January month.
31:17With camera person Gopal Harnais is Omkar Wable, India Today, Pune.
31:21All right, let's move from the Larki Bahin Yojana to the Maiya Samman Yojana.
31:27That was a game-changer in Jharkhand, Sorain government.
31:30Launched right ahead of the Assembly elections, the scheme offered 2,500 a month to illegible women, easing financial stress for many.
31:38However, portal issues and misuse have left some still waiting.
31:42Welfare schemes for women are not just restricted to BJP-ruled states.
31:52The Himant Sorain government also launched Maiya Samman Yojana in August 2024, just before Raksha Bandhan and ahead of the Assembly elections.
32:03The scheme initially provided 1,000 rupees per month to women aged 18 to 50.
32:08But the government promised that if it is voted to power, the benefit would increase to 2,500 rupees per month.
32:16Since January 2025, over 55 lakh women have been receiving the enhanced amount.
32:22Ahead of Christmas, the November installment for these beneficiaries was released in time.
32:29The scheme proved to be a game-changer for Himant Sorain government, as it made a solid comeback in polls.
32:35The Jharkhand government remained committed to continuing the scheme at all costs.
32:41However, some issues remain.
32:43Eligible women who have applied are unable to receive benefits because the portal is closed,
32:49while some affluent women are still receiving the 2,500 rupees monthly benefit.
32:55The government is now scanning and removing such cases of misuse.
32:58In Chatra village, women like Anita Topo, Soni from low-income families say the 2,500 rupees has made a real difference.
33:28The scheme has eased daily financial struggles, allowing women to buy school supplies, stationery and household necessities independently.
33:41However, some villagers remain frustrated.
33:44Many eligible women are unable to enroll due to portal closures.
33:48The government is not working in private.
33:50My husband has been saying that it is a job that is not a government.
33:52The government is not a government.
33:54It's very difficult.
33:56The government comes to the government.
33:58We are getting a lot of attention.
33:59We are getting to the government, but for two or three months, my money has closed.
34:02People have told me that they are not.
34:04They are asking.
34:05They are asking.
34:06They are asking.
34:07They are asking.
34:08They are asking.
34:09BJP on the other hand is criticizing the scheme, saying it put the government under stress
34:31and caused delays in other welfare programs, including pensions for widows, the elderly
34:38and disabled.
35:02Despite these challenges, the government maintains that the Maiya Samman Yojana will continue,
35:07empowering women to become self-reliant and financially independent.
35:31As political parties battle over sustainability and intent for millions of women on the ground,
35:35the Maiya Samman Yojana is no longer just an election promise.
35:40It is a lifeline they now depend on.
35:47If there is no financial constraint, will the government connect and link the new applicants
35:54with this scheme?
35:56With camera person Rakesh Diwari, this is Satyajit Kumar in Ranchi for India Today.
36:03Now let's take you to the state of Madhya Pradesh, where it proverbially all began, which is
36:08direct cash transfers with the Ladli Behen Yojana.
36:11It became a key political tool for others to follow while aimed at empowering women through
36:16monthly aid.
36:17The scheme has now put the state under extreme financial duress.
36:24The scheme rolled out in Maharashtra was modelled on the Ladli Behena scheme, first introduced
36:30by the BJP in Madhya Pradesh.
36:34The Ladli Behena scheme was announced by the Shivraj Singh Chauhan government.
36:39Initially, women were given Rs 1,000 per month.
36:44After Mohan Yadav took over as Chief Minister, the assistance was first increased to Rs 1,250
36:51and later raised to Rs 1,500 per month.
36:56This hike has helped many women improve their financial condition, supporting household expenses
37:02and even helping families cope during medical emergencies.
37:06The government of Madhya Pradesh has helped many women travel abroad for months.
37:11I have been Pacificya Pradesh.
37:12The Paradise is a sale of Manda Pradesh.
37:14I recently joined a public interest in the village of Madhya Pradesh.
37:16I have sold the city of Madhya Pradesh and did their business revenue.
37:19I installed my voyage in a small village too.
37:21I have collected a operation from my school.
37:23The volunteers of Madhya Pradesh has not provided them.
37:25All my needs are for their products.
37:27I haveероably Free State快steshcrack.
37:28The money has been used in the village.
37:30The money has been returned.
37:31The money has been released.
37:32The money has been used in the village.
37:33The money has been raised on the village of Madhya Pradesh.
37:35However, not everyone has been able to access the benefits.
37:42Several women say technical issues and documentation hurdles have kept them out of the scheme.
38:05And it's not just beneficiaries who are feeling the pressure.
38:15Politicians are now facing the weight of their election promises.
38:19The burden of populist pledges and the reality of an emptying treasury have now been acknowledged
38:26publicly, even by senior BJP leaders in Madhya Pradesh.
38:30This is no laughing matter.
38:57Budget constraints have delayed several government projects.
39:00In the past year alone, Madhya Pradesh has taken loans worth 50,000 crore rupees, a significant
39:07portion of which is being used to fulfil election promises.
39:13Madhya Pradesh is currently under a heavy debt burden of 4.65 lakh crore rupees, which is
39:18higher than the state's total budget of 4.21 lakh crore rupees for 2025-26.
39:26This means the state owes more than what it plans to spend in an entire year, highlighting
39:33a widening gap between income and expenditure.
39:37Now take a look at the schemes putting the biggest pressure on the state's finances.
39:43The biggest pressure on Madhya Pradesh's finances comes from welfare schemes, led by the Ladli
39:48Behna Yojana.
39:50The scheme had a budget allocation of 18,669 crore rupees for 2025-26, when the monthly payout
40:00was Rs 1,250, but after the amount was raised to 1,500 post-Diwali, the annual cost is now
40:09estimated at around 22,000 crore rupees for nearly 1.26 crore women beneficiaries.
40:18In addition, the state contributes Rs 6,000 per year under the PM Kisan scheme, costing the
40:25exchequer about 5,000 crore annually.
40:29After servicing its debt, less than 1,000 crore remains in the Treasury, while the annual
40:36interest burden alone exceeds 30,000 crore.
40:40As expected, the opposition has launched a sharp attack on the ruling BJP government, alleging
40:47that the state government is surviving on debt.
40:50The issue is, the point is, the demand is, the demand is not enough, we will start his
41:02development.
41:03We will go to our school, which is what will happen.
41:05This is a budget of 10,000 crore government, and 4,6,000 crores of 4,000 crores.
41:12The cost of election promises is now visible in hard numbers.
41:38Debt higher than the annual budget.
41:40The big question remains, will populist politics push future generations deeper into debt?
41:47And will development now rely more on borrowing than on sustainable growth?
41:56When election freebies begin to bleed the treasury dry, the political truth no longer
42:03stay hidden.
42:04Jalash Vijaywargi's remark brutally exposes the cost of vote bank populism.
42:11A checker and a state sinking deeper into debt.
42:18This is Ravish Pal Singh for India Today.
42:23Alright, let's move on from BJP-run Madhya Pradesh to Congress-run Himachal Pradesh.
42:28The Congress government promised 1500 rupees per month under the Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna
42:33Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana.
42:35Nearly three years later, lakhs of women are still waiting.
42:42For lakhs of women in Himachal Pradesh, a promise made before the elections has now turned
42:48into a long, silent wait.
42:50The Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi Yojana promised 1500 rupees per month.
42:57It was one of the Congress party's biggest poll guarantees and a key reason for the party
43:02to come to power.
43:04Nearly three years into the government's term, the hope remains the money does not.
43:12Only 35,687 women have received benefits so far.
43:17Lakhs are still waiting, some after one installment, many after none.
43:22India Today reached Sisu village in Lahol, where women say the promise has barely been fulfilled,
43:29if at all.
43:30Do you know about this?
43:32Yes, I know.
43:34Do you know about it?
43:35Do you know about it?
43:36Do you know about it?
43:37Do you know about it?
43:38Only one month.
43:39There will be a lot of people, but there will be other people who have got one month.
43:48Yes.
43:49What do you know about it?
43:51Dibindra Devi Ji.
43:52Dibindra Ji, the government has said that it will be a month.
43:56Do you know about it?
43:57Yes, I know about it.
43:59Even local representatives admit the gap between promise and delivery.
44:23My parents also have gone to her.
44:27They have gotten a month and the children.
44:32They have got more than 1500 people per month.
44:35The next month was emailed.
44:36The ladies and the ladies have had not met them today.
44:41We are at Lahol City district as many other cities.
44:45We have talked about many other people.
44:46We've got a lot of money that stores or something.
44:49The story is no different in Mandi, where women say they applied nearly three years ago, but their bank accounts remain empty.
45:19The Chief Minister, however, insists the scheme is being implemented in phases, citing financial constraints.
45:28But women on the ground point to changing rules.
45:50Exclusions based on government jobs, pensions or income certificates.
45:55Conditions that were never highlighted before the elections.
45:59During the winter session of the assembly, the government admitted that only 35,687 beneficiaries have been registered so far.
46:27With payments subject to budget availability.
46:31Oona tops the list with 7,280 beneficiaries.
46:35Sirmor follows with 4,128.
46:38Vilaspur with 3,254.
46:42Mandi with 3,187.
46:45And Shimla with 2,569 women receiving the amount.
46:50The opposition calls it a betrayal, arguing that even listed beneficiaries received only one or two installments.
46:58The number that is, the number 1,000 individuals have been registered with 3,525 people in Himachal.
47:05The number of public officials has already been registered with 3,255 people in Himachal.
47:23As Himachal heads into the final two years of Congress government's term, the question
47:31lingers in these hills.
47:33Was the Piyari Behna promise meant to empower women or just to win votes?
47:53So, it is time that Sukhu government delivers what it promised.
47:59With Kamapassan, Gurish Dugapal and Gunjit Kumar, this is Asim Bassi, India Today.