After I-PAC raids, Mamata accuses Amit Shah of taking coal-scam money

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday (January 9) significantly escalated her political offensive against the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), directly alleging that Union Home Minister Amit Shah benefited from “ill-gotten money” routed through senior leaders of the saffron party in the state.

Also read: ED raids at I-PAC spark political confrontation in West Bengal | Capital Beat

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo made the remarks while addressing a public rally in Kolkata following a protest march held during the day against a search conducted by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) at the office of the I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee), a political consultancy firm that has been working with her party.

Accusing Shah for first time directly

For the first time in her ongoing confrontation with the BJP, the firebrand leader directly accused Shah of “collecting money” from the alleged coal scam, presiding over what she described as a chain of corruption involving BJP leaders such as Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, and senior party leader Jagannath Chattopadhyay.

“Who siphons off coal money? It is Home Minister Amit Shah. Jagannath Chattopadhyay collects the ill-gotten money and passes it on to Suvendu Adhikari, who in turn hands it over to Amit Shah,” Mamata alleged, referring to the 2020 coal scam that prompted the ED raids at the I-PAC office on Thursday (January 8).

Also read: What is I-PAC and how is it connected with Mamata’s TMC?

She claimed to possess documentary evidence, including digital records. “I have pen drives, I have documents. But if the limits are crossed, everything will be exposed,” she warned, invoking the phrase “Lakshman Rekha” to warn against further provocation.

Until now, the chief minister had accused Shah of misusing institutions, including central agencies and the Election Commission, for political gains. But this is the first time she has made a serious allegation of the home minister’s direct involvement in the coal scam.

'When power goes away...'

In another pointed remark aimed at the BJP’s leadership, she added, “Today you call yourself kings and saints, and me a thief. Tomorrow, when power goes away, no one will stand beside you.”

She further warned the Opposition party against allegedly attempting to evade accountability. “Where will you go--- have you purchased land on the moon? Even if you try to hide there, we will bring you back. You will be judged in the people’s court,” she said, drawing loud applause from party supporters.

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The ED search at I-PAC premises over alleged money-laundering triggered a sharp political reaction in the state, with the ruling TMC calling it an attempt to steal its strategy-related documents at the behest of Shah.

The mysterious green file

During the search, Mamata was seen leaving I-PAC’s premises carrying a green file, leading to speculation about its contents and whether investigators permitted it to be taken out.

Justifying her action, she said at the rally, “What I did yesterday, I did as the chairperson of the All India Trinamool Congress. I did nothing wrong. You came to kill. You came like thieves to steal all my data. If the twin flowers (the party symbol) are not protected, how will I fight for the people?”

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She then further escalated her attack on the BJP, addressing party leaders and workers, saying, “I have tolerated a lot. No more. Ring the death knell of the BJP in every neighbourhood. If mothers and sisters are attacked, the brothers will know how to respond.”