Mamata alleges ED raids at I-PAC office aimed at stealing TMC strategy
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday accused the ED of acting as a political tool of the BJP to "steal" her party's internal strategy, asserting that she did nothing wrong in reaching the premises linked to I-PAC during the central agency's raids a day ago.
Addressing a rally here after a massive 10-km-long protest march, Banerjee said she had intervened at the raid site purely in her capacity as the chairperson of the Trinamool Congress and not as the CM.
"What I did yesterday, I did as the TMC chairperson. I have done nothing illegal," she said, referring to her unexpected arrival at the venue of ED's searches at I-PAC offices and the residence of its India head Pratik Jain.
I-PAC provides political consultancy to the TMC.
Banerjee alleged that the agency entered the premises early in the morning and that by the time she reached, "a lot could have already been taken away".
"You entered at 6 am; I went at 11.45 am. By then, many things might have been stolen," Banerjee said, accusing the ED of attempting to access her party's strategic data ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
Escalating her confrontation with the Centre, Banerjee claimed that "all agencies have been captured" and accused the BJP of forcibly occupying power in several states.
"You captured Maharashtra, Haryana and Bihar by force. Do you think you can capture Bengal too?" she asked, adding that any political attack only strengthens her resolve. "If someone tries to hit me politically, I get politically rejuvenated and reborn," she said.
The chief minister also trained her guns on the Election Commission, alleging that the BJP had "stolen" the mandate in Maharashtra with the poll panel's help and was now attempting to replicate it in Bengal through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by deleting genuine voters' names.
She announced that her party's "next destination" would be the Election Commission in New Delhi to oppose what she called harassment of voters during SIR.
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Withdraw 'disrespectful' remark against Rahul Gandhi and apologise: Pilot asks Rijiju
Mumbai (PTI): Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Thursday hit out at Union minister Kiren Rijiju for passing a "disrespectful and inappropriate" remark against Rahul Gandhi, and asked him to apologise for it.
He was answering a query regarding Rijiju's reported statement in which he described Gandhi as the "most dangerous person" for India's security, and a purported video of a man claiming to be from Karni Sena issuing death threats to the Congress leader.
Addressing a press conference here, Pilot said, "When ordinary journalists criticise the government, they face FIRs and jail. But when threats are issued against the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha (Rahul Gandhi), there is silence. This shows the government's intention. LoP is a constitutional position. To describe him as a security threat is inappropriate and disrespectful. Even as such open threats are being made, the government is not taking any action."
"The statement 9against Gandhi) should be withdrawn and an apology should be issued," the Congress general secretary said, adding that it is the job of the LoP to seek accountability from the government and ask questions.
To a query on the plane crash in which Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar was killed on January 28, Pilot said, "I do not want to speculate. There should be a transparent, time-bound inquiry. If there are doubts, a high-level investigation should clarify facts."
When asked about the demand for leadership change in the opposition INDIA bloc, he said, "Leadership decisions are internal matters. The alliance worked remarkably well in the last Lok Sabha election. The gap in numbers between the INDIA bloc and the NDA was not very wide. We are working together strongly and will continue to do so."
The Congress has been helming the INDIA bloc, a coalition of Opposition parties formed before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections to counter the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). However, voices from disgruntled Congress members and those associated with the UPA dispensation suggested that the leadership of the opposition alliance should be given to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee or Tamil Nadu CM M K Stalin.
On Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Indian economy, Pilot said, "India is a major IT power. We have talent and capability. Many countries see India as a natural partner. But we must use our strengths wisely and not compromise our sovereignty under pressure."
"India should have the freedom to decide where to buy oil from. That is a sovereign decision," Pilot said.
On the issue of illegal migration, he said anybody staying illegally in India should be removed regardless of religion or caste.
"But this issue should not be politicised. If the border has been under control for 11 years, how did illegal immigrants enter? The government should provide data on how many people have been deported," he said.
"This government's intent and policies are anti-farmer and there is no accountability. The opposition will continue to demand answers from the government and stand with farmers and the people of India," he said.
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