Himanta Sarma Slams Mamata Banerjee Over I-PAC Raid Conduct: “Will Erode Public Respect”

The political temperature in the East is officially boiling over. As of Saturday, January 10, 2026, the fallout from the ED raids on the I-PAC (Indian Political Action Committee) office in Kolkata has moved beyond the borders of West Bengal, with Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma weighing in heavily.

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The thing is, the drama that unfolded on Thursday wasn’t just a standard raid—it was a full-blown constitutional standoff. Or nothing. Let’s be real, seeing a sitting Chief Minister walk out of a raid site with files in her hand is something you don’t see every day. Those too.

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The “Kolkata Raid” Log: Field Notes

It’s an ongoing situation where both sides are accusing each other of “looting” documents.

• The “Green File” Mystery: Mamata Banerjee didn’t just protest; she literally showed up at the residence of I-PAC head Pratik Jain and later at their Godrej Waterside office. The thing is, she was seen walking out with a “green file,” claiming she was rescuing her party’s confidential candidate lists and 2026 election strategies.

• Himanta’s Take: Sarma isn’t holding back. Speaking from Guwahati, he called her conduct “deeply concerning” and “unbecoming of a Chief Minister.” He specifically called out her “foul language” against the Home Minister and the alleged detention of central officials.

• The Coal Scam Link: The ED says this isn’t about elections. They’re tracing money from an alleged multi-crore coal pilferage scam that they claim was funneled to I-PAC for the TMC’s Goa campaign back in 2022.

• The High Court Battle: The ED has already moved the Calcutta High Court, seeking a CBI probe against the CM and senior police officers for “obstruction of investigation.” And then the TMC filed a counter-petition to stop the ED from leaking their “stolen” data.

  The Standoff: Key Players & Allegations

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  [Table: Bengal Power Tussle Jan 2026]

  Entity	Action/Allegation	The “Other Side” Response
  Mamata Banerjee	Rushed to site, seized files/phones.	“Unconstitutional interference.” (Suvendu Adhikari)
  ED Officials	Raided 10 locations (Kolkata & Delhi).	“Trying to steal our 2026 election strategy.” (TMC)
  I-PAC (Pratik Jain)	Filed police complaint against ED for “theft.”	“We have specific evidence of money laundering.” (ED)
  Himanta B. Sarma	Warned of “erosion of public respect.”	“Bengal needs an Assam-style approach to infiltrators.”

  And Here’s the Kicker…

  The timing is everything. With West Bengal headed for Assembly Polls in just a few months, I-PAC—which has been the TMC’s “brain” since 2019—is right in the crosshairs.¹¹ The thing is, if the ED can prove a link between illegal coal money and poll strategy, it’s not just a legal mess; it’s a political catastrophe.

  It’s an ongoing situation where the Kolkata Police and the CRPF are basically staring each other down at raid sites. And then you have Mamata telling her supporters to “reciprocate” by protesting at BJP offices. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s likely to get much worse before the first vote is cast.

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  End…

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