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Trinamool Congress, National General Secretary, Abhishek Banerjee on Friday addressed a public rally in Taherpur, Nadia, where he spoke out against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on the office of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) and the residence of its head, Pratik Jain alleging that the raids using the central agency were carried out because the consulting agency was assisting his party during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bengal.
Referring to I-PAC’s role, Abhishek said, “An organization called I-PAC has created an app called 'Didir Doot'. But because they are working for the Trinamool in the SIR process, because they are participating in helping and assisting the poor people, (for that reason) they sent the ED yesterday and conducted a raid.” He further alleged institutional overreach, stating, “And they are snatching away the rights of the common people by sending the EC (Election Commission). And they are stifling the voice of democracy by sending the ED.”
Abhishek claimed that central agencies were being used to intimidate political opponents ahead of the Assembly elections. He alleged that the ED had harassed not only him but also his wife, children and parents, and asserted that such actions would intensify as elections draw closer. However, he said neither he nor the Trinamool Congress would bow down to pressure from “Delhi”.
Crticising the ED raids, Banerjee said, “You have the ED, CBI, central forces, media, judiciary, Income Tax, and the financial system—use them all. The people of Bengal will never bow down to the executioners and landlords of Delhi.” Referring to alleged harassment by investigating agencies, he added, “You have seen, they haven't spared anyone—my wife, parents, or children. We are made of a different mettle. Our spine is ‘not for sale.’ We are not the kind of people who will bow down before the executioners of Delhi.”
Abhishek also recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s public meeting scheduled in Taherpur on December 20 last year, which could not take place due to bad weather, resulting in the Prime Minister addressing the gathering over the phone from Kolkata airport. He alleged that despite mentioning the Matua community during the SIR process, no assurance was given to address their concerns. He further claimed that the BJP had to bring people from neighbouring districts to fill the meeting, unlike the Trinamool Congress, where attendance was organic. He said, “Wherever you look in this field, there are people everywhere. It's full of people. Twice as many people are on the roads. They haven't even reached the meeting yet.”
At the rally, Abhishek also presented instances of alleged “ghost voters” from Nadia, similar to those highlighted earlier in South 24 Parganas. He called three individuals onto the stage who were shown as deceased in the SIR process, stating that there were at least 100 such cases. Questioning the transparency of the SIR exercise, he targeted Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, saying, “These people have been living on this land for so long. They have their homes, families, and friends here. They are working here.” He added, “You can all see these three people. But in the eyes of the Election Commission, according to Gyanesh Kumar, they are dead!”
