- 14 hours ago
The Enforcement Directorate arrested Vinesh Chandel, co-founder and director of I-PAC, in connection with alleged coal smuggling and money laundering case in West Bengal.
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00:01You're watching To The Point. I'm Preeti Chaudhary. We come to you from Battleground Bengal, Bir Bhoom District.
00:08What has happened in Bengal over the course of the last 24 hours?
00:12If the political heat wasn't quite enough with the direct bipolar fierce contest between the TNC and the BJP,
00:18well, things have just gotten a tad bit hotter.
00:21The Enforcement Directorate in Delhi has arrested the co-founder of IPAC.
00:28IPAC is the same agency that is handling all the promotional material, the campaign for the TNC in Bengal.
00:38Once again, the stage is now set for a pitched battle where you have the TNC cry out political vendetta.
00:47A press conference actually took place this afternoon by Mr. Derek O'Brien,
00:51who went ahead and said that it's not Enforcement Directorate.
00:54It is desperation, extreme desperation. That's how he labeled it.
00:59Well, like I said, a pitched battle already being fought. Here's the latest.
01:09Ten days before West Bengal assembly elections comes a political earthquake.
01:18The Enforcement Directorate strikes at the nerve center of TNC's election strategy,
01:24arresting Indian Political Action Committee or IPAC co-founder Vinny Stundale in an alleged money laundering probe linked to a
01:31coal scam.
01:33Now, according to the ED, nearly 50 crore rupees alleged proceeds of the crime were routed through Havala channels and
01:39layered via shell entities.
01:41Investigators alleged 13.5 crore rupees was parked in IPAC's books as unsecured, interest-free loans from a non-banking
01:49entity with no agreements or no real services.
01:53The charge? IPAC acted as a conduit.
01:57Now, this isn't the first time the ED is cracking down on IPAC.
02:01In January, the ED had raided IPAC offices and the Kolkata residents of its co-founder Pratik Jain.
02:07That operation spiraled into a flashpoint, with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee herself arriving at the scene,
02:13alleging seizure of sensitive election material belonging to her party.
02:17Now, with another IPAC co-founder Chandel in 10-day custody, the timing is explosive.
02:24The BJP is calling the arrest long overdue.
02:39The General Congress is crying foul, calling it vendetta.
02:53The organization was known as ED.
02:57Now they have renamed themselves Extremely Desperate.
03:0410 days before polling is not law enforcement.
03:11It is electoral sabotage.
03:15As Bengal heads into polling on 23rd and 29th of April, this is no longer just a probe.
03:22It's a full-blown political showdown where poll consultants, investigative agencies and electoral stakes have collided at the highest level.
03:31And the big question now is, is this a crackdown on corruption or political vendetta?
03:36We are a report, India Today.
03:42Alright, so due diligence, political vendetta, all of that aside, how will it be used in terms of the ED
03:49arresting the co-founder of IPAC that is managing the campaign of the TMC?
03:54How will it be used politically on the ground?
03:57Let's take all these questions to our panelists this evening.
04:01Joining me is Ms. Shikha Mukherjee, political commentator.
04:04Sanju Verma, national spokesperson, BJP.
04:07Mr. Ramita Abdiwari, founder, VoteWide.
04:10Saurabh Chunder, spokesperson, TMC.
04:12I'd like to begin with Shikha Mukherjee this evening.
04:16Good evening, ma'am.
04:17You know, one thing that has been debated is that will now TMC once again weaponize the arrest of that
04:27which has taken place last night and use it somewhere down the line?
04:31It's already using it on the line because what is happening here is A, the TMC has shrugged back with
04:40the accusation that this is extremely desperate.
04:43Having said that, the Trinuan Congress systematically over the last five years has been saying that all elections are preceded
04:53by these raids.
04:55And therefore, this is raid-connected elections politics and therefore it is already accused the center of having weaponized these
05:09agencies.
05:10I mean, everybody puts agency and uses it as a kind of institution mechanism to destabilize or disturb the political
05:23campaign by opposition parties.
05:26Now, having said that, is this going to impact majorly on West Bengal elections where already the polarization between the
05:36BJP and along with the BJP what has happened is that the BJP and the election commission have been categorized
05:47together.
05:48The BJP and the EC are together on one side and everybody else is on the other side.
05:53So, as it is working out, this is just one more irritant in the contest between the Trinuan Congress, the
06:05BJP and the election commission, which has become in the Trinuan's campaign a party to this election.
06:17I think it's a case where one more irritant is not going to do much more than just raise the
06:29level of pitch of the campaign a bit higher.
06:32But it's not going to change the overall antagonism which is there on the platform.
06:37Ms. Mukherjee, I believe our timer is up. We're going to come right back to you.
06:43Let me bring in Saurav from the TMC while we wait for our other guests.
06:46But sort of, you know, there are two ways to look at it. At one end, one can say that,
06:50you know, TMC can go which you are, crying political vendetta ten days before the first phase of polling doesn't
06:57look good.
06:58But on the other hand, the BJP can also play into the very same narrative that they are building on
07:04ground that is of corruption.
07:08Right. So first and foremost, a very good evening to you and a good evening to all my fellow panelists.
07:14I would like to begin by saying that, you know, people of Bengal have kind of become accustomed to this.
07:21Every time there's an election, there is either the EDI or the CBI knocking at some politician's door or some
07:30arm of the Trinamul or any arm of the opposition.
07:34They come knocking and people who are scared, they succumb to the pressure, join the BJP, automatically they become saints
07:44overnight.
07:45And the ones who don't, they fight it out and we see what is the result thereafter.
07:49Now, I'll prove this with numbers. Now, as per the media reports and as per what the government has said
07:56in the floor of the house,
07:58in so far as in response to a question which was raised by the Trinamul in the parliament, about 6000
08:05cases have been filed by the Enforcement Directorate,
08:08of which about 25 convictions have been secured, which is a phenomenal number of 0.42%.
08:16Now, if that is the rate of conviction, we all know how these agencies are being used.
08:23And I would just like to say one small thing that you may use the ED, the CBI, the income
08:30tax, the election commission acting on your behest.
08:34Now, that has also become abundantly clear by virtue of the tweet.
08:38You see, we have been calling out the election commission, but the tweet that they sent out, which directly attacks
08:46the Trinamul Congress,
08:47actually shows how neutral they really are.
08:50So, you can use all the agencies. The agencies are with you, but we have the people with us.
08:57And come 4th of May, you will see that the Honourable Chief Minister of West Bengal,
09:03the incumbent Chief Minister, Madam Mahmoud Amalajji, is again going to swear in as this year.
09:09I believe your time is up, Saurav. You're going to come right back.
09:12I want to bring in the BJP spokesperson into this conversation.
09:15Sanju Verma, welcome to the show. The question, you know, I'll ask you later,
09:19on how it really plays out because, you know, first you had the TMC, which said you weaponized the EC.
09:26Now they'll say you weaponized the ED. That's a separate question.
09:28But Sanju Verma, for a very smart spokesperson who knows politics, who's been following politics,
09:34it's interesting. And somewhere down the line, you'll admit it's interesting.
09:38And just sheer trivia, every election, Sanju Verma, the ED cracks in 10 to 15 days before the election.
09:44At some time, you will have, you know, let's just go back. It was the TMC at this point, you
09:50know,
09:50West Bengal at this point of time. Right before that, there was Maharashtra, there was Haryana,
09:56there was Jharkhand, there was Delhi. 10 days before the ED steps in.
10:01Just journalistic inquisition, but it's interesting to know.
10:06You know, Preeti, on a lighter note, the moment you said a very smart spokesperson,
10:10I knew that you're going to throw a googly at me. But on a more serious note, I just want
10:16to say this.
10:17That be it the Narada scam or Sarada scam or Rose Valley scam, I know that, you know,
10:23justice has been in abeyance for the longest time. But let's speak of Partha Chatterjee,
10:30SSC recruitment scam. He's out on bail. He's not been declared innocent by the courts.
10:36Let's talk about Anupratta Mandal, one of the star campaigners for TMC and involved in the cattle smuggling scam.
10:43He's out on bail. He has not been declared innocent by the courts.
10:48Let's talk about Bhipo, Mamata Banerjee's nephew, Abhishek Banerjee.
10:53He knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court saying that the FIR against him in the cash for jobs
11:00scam should be dismissed.
11:02The Supreme Court castigated him saying nothing doing, face trial.
11:08So Abhishek Banerjee is also out on bail. He has not been given a clean shit by the Supreme Court.
11:14Then let's talk about Shah Jahan Sheikh, a one time close confidant of Mamata Banerjee accused of raping hundreds of
11:22Dalit women in Sondesh Khali.
11:24He's cooling his heels behind prison bars. So what is the point I'm making?
11:30The point I'm making is that who decides whether somebody is innocent or guilty?
11:37Not Sanju Verma, not the TMC spokesperson, not Shikha Mukherjee, not Preeti Chaudhary.
11:43The courts decide and the courts have decided that from Partha Chatterjee to Abhishek Mukherjee, Abhishek Banerjee, pardon me, to
11:52the IPAC co-founder.
11:55First it was Pratik Jain and now Mr. Chandel. If the ED has made an arrest, it's bona fide.
12:02Within the confines of law, Mamata Banerjee rona dhona kar sakti hai, but yeh illegal nahi hai.
12:09Sanju Verma, I believe your time is up. Ma'am, nobody's saying it's illegal.
12:14Who's calling it illegal, Sanju Verma? I'm just saying it's interesting. I don't know who else you named, but you
12:18named me.
12:19So I'm just saying it's really interesting, Sanju Verma, that 10 to 15 days before every state election, you'll have
12:25the enforcement director crack down on a political party, which is not the BJP.
12:30You'll at least agree on that. And it's happened in each election. We've counted right back, you know, name Delhi,
12:35name Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand.
12:38And it's happened. And one can't really deny that. That was my question. It's an interesting development to know.
12:44Having said that, bringing in Amitabh Tiwari. I'll come back to you, ma'am.
12:47Amitabh Tiwari, into this conversation, who's been tracking this election, is in Kolkata now.
12:51Amitabh Tiwari, on ground, what was not needed was the campaign for the BJP has already been built right now,
13:00this time around on corruption, on an anti-Mamata campaign.
13:03Would you reckon this will maybe hand the TMC, you know, another weapon to suggest victimization, to play the victim
13:12once again, that you use the EC, now you're bringing in the ED,
13:16where once again, Mamata Banerjee can take the role of the underdog fighting against all odds?
13:24So, see, essentially the TMC will harp on the lines, as you've mentioned, that the BJP has once again allegedly
13:33activated the ED, CBI, IT, etc.
13:36However, I feel that the issue has lost its sting.
13:39When the raids last happened in the Kolkata office of IPAC and Mamata Banerjee rushed to the office and there
13:47was an argument and some files were taken away and cases were filed in court, etc.
13:53At that point of time, of course, in our trackers, it was appearing that the TMC had won the perception
13:59war.
13:59The epicenter of the raids was in Kolkata. Here, the epicenter of the raid or the arrest is not Kolkata,
14:07it is in New Delhi and it has been done very quietly, that's number one.
14:11Number two, the issue is no longer an issue, I think, in these elections because Mr. Chandel is not a
14:18politician.
14:19He is an IPAC co-founder and also, as far as I know, not directly linked with the work in
14:27the West Bengal state.
14:29He is doing some other states perhaps for IPAC.
14:33This also shows that whatever understanding the political parties had with respect to not touching the strategists,
14:41I think that has now been that Lakshwan Rekha has been crossed and this is not the only incidents.
14:47We have had similar incidents, maybe not by ED, but by police officials of the incumbent in other states who
14:54have targeted the strategists working for the opposition leaders.
14:58And I think this trend is a bit disturbing.
15:01The case, anyways, will be tried in the court and we'll have to see how and what is the role
15:07of Chandel in this case.
15:09But I don't see this issue now giving some ammunition to the TMC so that it could tilt the scale
15:18in its favour or so that it could neutralise some of the corruption and other allegations which the BJP is
15:24making and its election campaign.
15:26All right. I believe your time is up, Amitabh Tiwari. I want to bring in all of you for two
15:29minutes each. Final comments, less time, so less interjection.
15:34Shikha Mukherjee to bring you in. If this is not going to be an issue that will track, if this
15:38is just a side note to it all, what, according to you, Shikha Mukherjee, are the key issues on this
15:43election will be decided?
15:46Shikha Mukherjee The deletion of names under SIR is an issue for one side, as the BJP has been campaigning
15:57very strongly about Guzbetias, about illegal infiltrators, the demographic change that has happened during the 15 years that Mamata Banerjee
16:07has been in power in specific districts which are along the India-Bangladesh border.
16:11Shikha Mukherjee So this is the purification of the electoral rolls is linked to that.
16:18Shikha Mukherjee The second thing that is going to be a major issue in this election is the anti-incumbency
16:28for Mamata Banerjee.
16:29Shikha Mukherjee And Mamata Banerjee does have a strong anti-incumbency feeling because, you know, she has been in power
16:35for 15 years.
16:37Shikha Mukherjee There have been excesses and excesses on the part of her government or failures on the part of
16:43her government, as well as abuse of power by people within her own party.
16:47Shikha Mukherjee And then there is this kind of visible corruption.
16:52Shikha Mukherjee I think what annoys people in West Bengal is not so much the stacking up of wealth by
16:58a few individuals, but the day-to-day problem of facing the Trinamul's local level abuse of power, which riles
17:11people far more because it's personal.
17:13Shikha Mukherjee And the third thing, I think, which is very important in this election is that there is no
17:18wave.
17:19Shikha Mukherjee We are on the ground are not seeing an election where there are strong sentiments on either side.
17:29Shikha Mukherjee That is what is amazing.
17:31Shikha Mukherjee And I think that is going to be the most tricky part of this election going forward.
17:37Shikha Mukherjee All right.
17:41Shikha Mukherjee I want to bring in, okay, okay.
17:43Shikha Mukherjee Saurav Chandra to get him into this conversation last two minutes.
17:46Shikha Mukherjee Go ahead, sir.
17:46Shikha Mukherjee Make your point.
17:47Shikha Mukherjee Final submissions.
17:48Shikha Mukherjee Right.
17:49Shikha Mukherjee So the BJP spokesperson spoke about Partho Chaitatji.
17:52Shikha Mukherjee I will tell him, I tell her that Partho Chaitatji has been removed from the party,
17:56Shikha Mukherjee has not been given a ticket as opposed to what we've seen with the BJP themselves.
18:01Shikha Mukherjee Second, she spoke about a host of other names and I'll tell you that if I have to
18:06comment on that,
18:07I will have to reverse judicial principles, which we have learned as law students, presumption of guilt, right?
18:13So you are innocent till you are proven guilty.
18:15She has herself said that there has been no acquittal, there has been no final verdict yet.
18:23Therefore, it would be very unfair on our part to presume certain things.
18:27And the last point is that if you think, if the narrative is entirely built upon this particular point that
18:36the Trinomool has to weaponize this particular issue and play the victim card and move forward in the elections, I
18:44think it's a very wrong presumption to make.
18:46We've gone to the people with our report card, with our performance over the last 15 years.
18:51Yes, there has been a lot of work done, but we are not saying for once that everything we have
18:57achieved is perfect.
18:58There is lots to be done.
19:00And we have gone to the people with 10 promises of the Honourable Chief Minister, Honourable Chairperson of the Trinomool
19:06Congress.
19:07So we are very, very confident that people will actually see through this kind of arm twisting which is happening.
19:15And it's not a level playing field anymore.
19:18You see, there's a very old saying in our judicial corridors that justice should not just be done, it has
19:23to be seen to be done.
19:24And institutions like the Election Commission, you know, they are highest constitutional authorities.
19:30So there has to be a certain degree of balance, a certain degree of fairness.
19:36And particularly in this case, the government is using all its agencies at the cost of reputation.
19:43I'll tell you that come what may, you may have the agencies with you.
19:47Mahmata Banerjee, our chairperson, has the people with her.
19:51Your time is up, sorry.
19:52Two minutes, Sanju Verma.
19:53Short on time.
19:54Make your point, ma'am.
19:56You know, Preeti, let me make one thing very clear.
19:59In the IPAC issue, when Mamata Banerjee parched into an ongoing investigation and carried with her, that green file,
20:08the matter went to the Supreme Court.
20:12And I'm quoting adverbattom what the Supreme Court said.
20:15Don't just say, ED, ED, ED.
20:17We are very concerned about the lawlessness.
20:20We are very concerned about a very unusual and unhappy situation.
20:24What if tomorrow, all chief ministers, during ongoing investigations, barge into the ED office?
20:32Then again, the Supreme Court says, please do not dictate terms to us when she wanted the case against IPAC
20:40to be dismissed.
20:41She is in Mamata Banerjee.
20:43And Mamata Banerjee has the audacity to say that Article 32, which gives rights to the ED, that is not
20:50maintainable.
20:51And the Supreme Court lambasted Mamata Banerjee, saying Article 32 is maintainable and the ED also has fundamental rights.
21:01But I will come to the moot point.
21:03From saying Partha Chatterjee is the fourth avatar of Raja Harish Chandra to now abandoning Partha Chatterjee shows Mamata Banerjee
21:12does not care about who is corrupt or not corrupt.
21:16She is simply an opportunist.
21:18Partha Chatterjee will be back in TMC once elections are over.
21:22I simply want to say this.
21:24Mamata Banerjee refuses to give data to NCRB.
21:27Mamata Banerjee refuses to tell the Union Finance Ministry how much money she has spent by way of GST money
21:35that West Bengal receives.
21:36She does not carry out GST audit.
21:38She does not want people of West Bengal to benefit from Ayushman Bharat.
21:42She does not implement PM Kisan.
21:45She does not implement PM Gram Sadak Yojana.
21:48She does not implement PM Jaljeevan Mission.
21:51She does not implement Sukanya Samridi Yojana.
21:54And then she has the audacity to say...
21:56Mam, I believe your time is up.
21:58Amitabh Tiwari, I want to bring you back into this conversation which I asked the same question to Shikha Tiwari.
22:03If you think...
22:04Shikha Mukherjee, I beg your pardon.
22:05If you believe this is not going to be a big issue in terms of the ED stepping in 10
22:10days before elections,
22:11what, according to you, are the big ticket issues that will define the contours of the one who wins on
22:18the 4th of May in Bengal?
22:21No, essentially from the opposition, which is the BJP side, the big issues clearly are top.
22:26Top five issues are lack of jobs and development.
22:31That's number one in our vote-wide tracker.
22:35Then there is women's safety and law and order is number two.
22:39Corruption, these issues are top three.
22:42Rising prices and, of course, law and order.
22:45So these five issues are issues on which the BJP's campaign is also hinged around, if you see.
22:51Mamata Bainerji has tried to neutralize some of the impact of these issues.
22:55So she has launched a cash dole scheme for unemployed youth
23:00and also increased the cash remuneration or honorarium for women by 500 rupees.
23:08So she has tried to neutralize the discontent among the youth and the women who have been talking about women's
23:16safety issues.
23:16Amitabh Tiwari, I'm going to just come in and the reason I'm coming in on your two minutes is because
23:22you've got big news break coming in
23:23and I promise on my next show I will let you have your full say.
23:27But the news that's coming in right now at the back is what's called the ceasefire in West Asia.
23:31Prime Minister Modi has spoken to President Trump.
23:36Telephonic conversation that has taken place between the Indian Prime Minister Modi and President Trump.
23:43That's what we are getting in right now and this conversation, of course, that has taken place after the ceasefire
23:50or rather the interim ceasefire that was announced.
23:55I want to connect right now to Geeta Mohan, our Foreign Affairs Editor, who's joining me on the phone line
23:59right now.
24:00Geeta, do we have the details of that conversation that has taken place between the Indian Prime Minister
24:04and the President of the United States of America?
24:08Well, as of now, Preeti, we do not have details of the conversation that has taken place.
24:13All we know, according to the report, is that the conversation lasted for three minutes.
24:18Remember, this comes at a time when there's a naval blockade around the state of Hormuz
24:22and both America and Iran are looking at how to come to a middle ground where they can have further
24:31conversation.
24:32India certainly can play an important role, but also the fact that India is feeling the pinch of the fuel
24:39crisis as well.
24:41Right now, we do not have details of the conversation.
24:44It has to do with the fact that India is a very important country in the region
24:48and the fact that there has been no forward movement with Iran to find a resolution
24:55and to bring this entire conflict.
24:57Geeta, we are going to come right back to you to stay on with us.
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