00:00We have Tawseef Ahmed, advocate and political analyst, joining us.
00:05Gargi Nandi Roy is also a political analyst.
00:08Tawseef, looking at what will be seen as a big setback for Mahmouda Banerjee,
00:15yes, the timing is something that has been asked repeatedly by the TMC and other opposition leaders.
00:22The ED is not responsible for it, is what the Supreme Court has said.
00:26No, the Supreme Court has not given any clinch it to ED.
00:32Rather, the ED will have to explain and satisfy the court on the question
00:39that while under the law, ED is required to notify the state police before conducting any rate or search.
00:48In this case, on 8th of January, the ED started the rate at 6.45 a.m.,
00:55but the intimation email was sent at 11.30 a.m., almost 5 or 6 hours later.
01:01So, the allegation of Malefide on ED coupled with the fact that they have been sitting on this case
01:13from last two years, two years ago, the last statement was recorded,
01:18DFI was launched six years ago, the scam is allegedly from 10 years old.
01:22Therefore, there are larger questions which emerge and if not answered shall lead to lawlessness.
01:30If central agencies are working bona fide to probe a serious offense, a question arises,
01:38can they be obstructed by party activities?
01:42That's what the Supreme Court has said today.
01:44And the Supreme Court also took cognizance of the fact that the party chairman,
01:53Tindamul party chairman, Mamata Banerjee, has a right to the confidential party documents
01:59that is lying with the IPAC office or the residence of Mr. Jain.
02:05And ED has no business to take a seizure of the election-related document or political document
02:16just before the election.
02:18So, the right of a political party to the confidential documents related to, yes.
02:25So, therefore, there's a balance.
02:26The question has to be, you know, weighed on the weighing scale.
02:30The verdict is all not out yet.
02:33Gargi Nandir, you know, this is the way the Supreme Court order is going to be read
02:40by the political parties.
02:42Of course, you heard Sukanta Majumdar of the BJP.
02:46He saw this as a supreme slap.
02:48Here is Tawseev who has his leanings clear.
02:52He's seeing it otherwise.
02:54Gargi, as a political analyst, what about you?
02:57Thank you, Maria.
03:00Thank you for inviting.
03:01You know, Maria, the country by now knows that there is no rule of law in West Bengal.
03:06But what we saw that day, it crossed all the limit.
03:10She presently crossed the line between governance and intimidation.
03:14So, we know that she has been a fascist ruler.
03:17But what we saw that day was robbery in broad daylight by the fascist Didi Amin of West Bengal.
03:23Now, having said that, now Tawseev has been saying, why so many years old case now?
03:30I'll tell you why, Maria.
03:32Because there are other raids also happening simultaneously.
03:36In October 2025, ED raided a businessman linked to the coal scam, Krishno Koyal.
03:43From there, they got the fine which linked that scam to IPAC.
03:48Now, also, Norendra Kharkar and Nirod Mondol do another business where they are being integrated.
03:54So, that's why, that's how ED got those links to IPAC.
03:58So, when they will get the link, they will come now.
04:00And even Shubhendo Odhikari said, how, you know, a contractor, there was a Joel Jeevan project,
04:06for which center gave 8,000 crore to the state.
04:10So, there was one contractor who got 178 crore, he had to give 16 crore to IPAC, to Kagdip Access Bank,
04:19ask him to deny whatever I'm saying and taking the name of the businessman.
04:23So, that's why now ED went and why the ED did not inform the police force.
04:28Maria, we all have seen how police force in West Bengal have been reduced to personal escorts of the TMC leaders.
04:36So, do you think if police were informed beforehand, ED could not have reached Pratik Jain's house,
04:42they would have been arrested or they would have removed everything before the ED would have reached.
04:47That's why in a state like West Bengal, the ED could not have informed the police.
04:52Because if they would have done so, they would have reached Pratik Jain's office or residence.
04:57That's for clear.
04:58But the fact is that the election data is confidential.
05:04If Mamata Banerjee had concerns with regards to the election data,
05:08it's confidential for any political party.
05:12If it was confidential, if it was related to all the political data,
05:19she would have gone to the court.
05:20That was not the way, obviously, to snatch, to raid an existing ED raid.
05:25Have you ever seen in your lifetime of a journalist,
05:28you are a very veteran, senior, respected journalist,
05:32in your entire journalistic career,
05:34Maria, can you please remember that you have seen anything like this?
05:38I don't think you have.
05:39And the law is same for every citizen in this country.
05:43Point taken.
05:43You would have done that, or I would have done what she did.
05:46Point taken, Gargi.
05:46You would have been arrested for 100% of the people from the CM.
05:50Anything similar to that has not been seen.
05:53But then, you know, as we know, that Mamata Banerjee reacts differently.
05:57And she perhaps took the, you know, took this move.
06:02I mean, she's a political leader who's known to be a street fighter.
06:07And that is the reason why the BJP is finding it tough in Bengal at the moment.
06:11So thank you so much for joining us.
06:12We must have the slogan.
06:14Maria, you asked.
06:15Shukanta could not give you the slogan.
06:16Let me give you the slogan for Bengal.
06:18Jene gache jownota, dakak vishi momota.
06:22Jene gache jownota, dakak vishi momota.
06:26Okay, what does that mean?
06:28That the Bengal people are down, vishi dakar.
06:32That's why that's our rhyme.
06:34Jene gache jownota, dakak vishi momota.
06:37That means the more you attack Bengal,
06:40again, Bengal will win.
06:43All right.
06:44I'm giving you the slogan.
06:45Jyothai koro hamla, abal dheetbe bhangla.
06:48Okay.
06:48So we have heard two slogans already.
06:50Gargi and Tawseer.
06:51Thank you for joining us.
06:53That's all from me on this edition of Newstruck.
06:55I'll be seeing you tomorrow.
06:56Thanks so much for watching.
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