- Trinamool MPs protested outside Amit Shah's office against ED action in Kolkata
- Police cleared the protest and detained MPs including Derek O'Brien and Mahua Moitra
- TMC alleges the ED is used as a political tool by the Centre and has taken the matter to court
What began as a "peaceful protest" this morning, as claimed by Trinamool Congress MPs, in front of Union Home Minister Amit Shah's office in the national capital quickly changed into shouts and screams when the police moved in to clear them.
Trinamool MPs including Derek O'Brien, Satabdi Roy, Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad, and others had gathered outside Shah's office, raising slogans against him.
The MPs from West Bengal's ruling party steered by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had been protesting against Shah over the Enforcement Directorate (ED) action yesterday at the Kolkata office of the political consultancy firm, I-PAC.
The party alleged the Centre has been using the ED as a political weapon. Both the ED and the Trinamool have taken the fight to the court now.
A few minutes after the MPs began shouting slogans, the Delhi Police swooped in and dragged out Derek O'Brien, Mahua Moitra, and others to a police van.
"You are seeing what's happening to MPs here," Derek O'Brien said while trying to free himself from the hands that held him.
Mahua Moitra added to the decibel at the protest site. "We will defeat the BJP. The country is seeing how the Delhi Police is treating an elected MP," she said.
Trinamool MP Abhishek Banerjee in a post on X wrote: "Democracy is punished. Criminals are rewarded. Agencies are weaponised. Elections are manipulated. JAIL the PROTESTERS. BAIL the RAPISTS. This is BJP's version of New India. Even if the rest of the country is forced to surrender, Bengal will resist. We will fight you tooth and nail and defeat you, no matter how much force you unleash."
Trinamool MP Satabdi Roy alleged the centre always sends its investigative agencies during elections. "They sent the ED yesterday, and they remember everything during the time of elections. They send ED, CBI during the elections just to win, but they won't win," he said.
The Trinamool MPs continued slogan-shouting at the police station on Parliament Street, where the police took them for temporary detention.
Yesterday, Mamata Banerjee allegedly interfered during the ED raid at I-PAC's office in connection with the coal smuggling case.
The ED accused her of entering the residential premises of I-PAC director Prateek Jain during the search operation and taking away "key evidence", including documents and electronic devices.
The Bengal election will be held by April this year.
