"Agencies weaponised, democracy punished": Abhishek Banerjee hits out at centre over detention of TMC MPs

New Delhi [India], January 9 : Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Friday accused the Narendra Modi government of "weaponising agencies" to suppress democracy.
He said that jailing protestors and granting bail to rapists was the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) version of new India.
In a post on X, Abhishek Banerjee said, "Democracy is punished. Criminals are rewarded. Agencies are weaponised. Elections are manipulated. JAIL the PROTESTERS. BAIL the RAPISTS. This is the BJP's version of New India."
https://x.com/abhishekaitc/status/2009489631885316240?s=20
He asserted that West Bengal would continue to resist the "force" unleashed by the Centre.
"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. #AbarJitbeBangla," post added on X.
Banerjee's reaction came after several TMC MPs were detained in the national capital on Friday for protesting outside Union Home Minister Amit Shah's office against the Enforcement Directorate (ED) raid on the I-PAC office in Kolkata, alleging misuse of the probe agency by the centre.
TMC MPs Derek O'Brien, Satabdi Roy, Mahua Moitra, Kirti Azad, and others protested outside Amit Shah's office in Delhi, raising slogans against the minister.
As this happened, the Delhi police detained Derek O'Brien, Mahua Moitra, and others, lifting them up and dragging them to the police van.
Derek O Brien, as he was dragged to the floor by police personnel, said, "You are seeing what is happening to the MPs here"
Mahua Moitra, who the police lifted from the protest spot, said, "We will defeat the BJP. The country is seeing how the Delhi Police is treating an elected MP."
Protesting against the ED raid, TMC MP Satabdi Roy said that the centre sends its investigative agencies during elections to win.
"They sent the team of ED yesterday, and they remember everything during the time of elections. They send the teams of ED, CBI during the elections just to win, but they won't win the election," he added.'
TMC MP Kirti Azad said, "ED conducted the raids in the wrong way, and this is an attempt to win the elections in an undemocratic manner. The BJP will not win the elections in this manner."
On Thursday, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee allegedly interfered during an ED raid at the offices of political consultancy firm I-PAC in connection with the coal smuggling case.
Banerjee alleged that the central agency had seized party-related materials, including hard disks, candidate lists and strategic documents, and accused Amit Shah of misusing central agencies.
"Is it the duty of the ED, Amit Shah, to collect the party's hard disk, candidate list? The nasty, naughty Home Minister who cannot protect the country is taking away all my party documents," Banerjee said while speaking to reporters.
Banerjee asserted that I-PAC was not a private organisation, but an authorised team working for the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC). She alleged that the ED had confiscated sensitive documents, including data linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
This development in West Bengal has led to a sharp face-off between the ruling TMC and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2026 assembly elections.