TMC MPs detained for protesting outside Home Ministry office over I-PAC raids

New Delhi: Members of Parliament from the Trinamool Congress on Friday staged a protest outside the Home Ministry office here, accusing the Centre of misusing central probe agencies, following which they were detained by the Delhi Police.

TMC leaders alleged that they were forcibly removed from the protest site while demonstrating.

The protest took place a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted searches at the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC and the residence of its founder.

According to a police official, TMC MPs Derek O’Brien and Mahua Moitra, along with several other party leaders, were detained and taken to the Parliament Street Police Station.

“They will be released shortly,” the officer said, adding that protests were not permitted outside the Home Ministry due to prohibitory orders and security-related concerns.

Holding placards and raising slogans against the alleged misuse of the ED, eight TMC MPs attempted to enter Kartavya Bhawan, which houses the Home Ministry.

When they were stopped at the entrance, the MPs staged a protest at the gate. They were later forcibly evicted from the area by Delhi Police personnel, the party claimed.

According to PTI, Derek O’Brien, Satabdi Roy, Mahua Moitra, Bapi Haldar, Saket Gokhale, Pratima Mondal, Kirti Azad, and Sharmila Sarkar were among the TMC MPs who staged the protest.

TMC leaders shared photographs showing MPs being forcibly removed by police and strongly criticised the Union government over the incident.

“What kind of arrogance is this, Amit Shah? Are you now using the Delhi Police to attack elected representatives just to crush democracy? Is this how dissent is suppressed in your India?” the party alleged.

“Accept it — you are rattled. First, the blatant misuse of the ED, and now an attack on the peaceful protest of our eight MPs. This desperation reflects your fear. You may try to stifle democracy, but Bengal will not bow. Shame on you and your police,” the TMC said.

On Thursday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had accused the ED of attempting to seize internal party data and election strategies during searches at the residence of I-PAC chief Pratik Jain and the organisation’s office in Kolkata.

Banerjee described the raids as an act of “political vendetta” and alleged that central agencies were being misused to intimidate opposition parties.

TMC leaders have maintained that I-PAC, which offers political consultancy services to the party and handles its IT and media operations, was being targeted to gain access to confidential internal material. The party has announced protests against the ED action at both the state and national levels.