"100 crores will be found if Mamata's house gets raided", claims Suvendu after ED searches at I-PAC leader's premises

Enforcement Directorate officials on Wednesday conducted raids at the IPAC office in Salt Lake and at the house and office of IPAC leader Pratik Jain, triggering sharp political reactions in West Bengal. Amid the searches, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Pratik Jain’s residence and was seen leaving with a green file, an act that drew strong criticism from the opposition.

Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, said he would not comment on the ED raid itself, stating that details should come from the agency. However, he accused the Chief Minister of interfering in the functioning of central agencies and obstructing an ongoing investigation. Adhikari alleged that legal action should be taken against Mamata Banerjee for her conduct during the searches.

Questioning the presence of a voter list at the IPAC office, Adhikari asked whether IPAC was functioning as a party office. He openly challenged the Chief Minister to allow raids anywhere, claiming that if searches were conducted at her residence, at least ₹100 crore would be recovered.

Adhikari also referred to earlier cases involving former minister Partha Chatterjee and Arpita Mukhopadhyay, mentioning the recovery of ₹51 crore. He alleged that the Chief Minister had deployed the CID during the episode and further claimed that the CID vandalised the MLA office in Nandigram, calling the entire episode a serious attack on constitutional institutions.