Mamata Banerjee protests against ED over I-PAC raid, says 'after winning Bengal, we must win Delhi as well' | Today News

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee led a protest march in south Kolkata and filed dual complaints on Friday against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection to raids at political consultancy firm I-PAC yesterday, while her TMC showcased its street presence ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.

"After winning Bengal, we must win Delhi as well; can’t have BJP rule India," Banerjee said, according to PTI.

An officer stated that following the complaints, the Kolkata and Bidhannagar Police registered First Information Reports (FIRs) and started a probe. The complaints, along with the TMC’s petition in the Calcutta High Court challenging the ED, are seen as the face-off between the two sides, after Kolkata saw an intense incident where the chief minister arrived at the search sites and allegedly removed key documents and electronic devices evidence.

As she proceeded from the 8B Bus Stand area toward Hazra More, Banerjee was accompanied by senior ministers, MPs, MLAs, and party officials, while crowds shouted slogans accusing the BJP-led Centre of “misusing central agencies for political vendetta".

“What I did yesterday, I did as the TMC chairperson. I have done nothing illegal,” Banerjee said.

She mentioned "all agencies have been captured" while accusing the BJP of forcibly occupying power in many states. Intensifying her attack at the Centre, she further said, "You captured Maharashtra, Haryana and Bihar by force. Do you think you can capture Bengal too?" she asked, adding that any political attack only emboldens her resolve, noting, “If someone tries to hit me politically, I get politically rejuvenated and reborn.”

Party workers enthusiastically sang Pratul Mukhopadhyay’s iconic anthem ‘Ami Banglay Gaan Gai,’ and women blew conch shells, giving the protest the feel of a street festival infused with political defiance.

Dressed in her signature white cotton sari, shawl, and slippers, Banerjee led a massive 10-km-long protest march steadily, occasionally pausing to wave at onlookers on both sides of the road, many of whom recorded the moment on their phones.

It also saw actor-politicians such as Dev, a sitting Lok Sabha MP, and Soham Chakraborty, along with other familiar faces from Bengali cinema and television who now serve as party representatives. Their presence drew cheers and whistles, highlighting the TMC’s growing fusion of cinema and politics.

According to party leaders, this march marks the first of several statewide demonstrations planned by the TMC, signaling Banerjee’s intent to move the political struggle from courtrooms and meeting halls back onto the streets, a domain she is most comfortable in, where her brand of politics, rich in symbolism and theatricality, is most effective.

Meanwhile, She declared that her party's "next destination" would be the Election Commission in New Delhi to protest what she described as harassment of voters during Special Intensive Revision (SIR).