TMC Protest intensifies as Trinamool Congress MPs are detained outside Amit Shah’s residence in Delhi over ED raids in Kolkata, escalating political tensions between the Centre and West Bengal government.
By Qalam Times News Network
New Delhi | January 9, 2026
TMC Protest : Allegations of Misuse of Central Agencies Intensify Clash Between Centre and Trinamool Congress
TMC Protest took a dramatic turn in the national capital on Friday when Delhi Police detained and allegedly dragged Trinamool Congress (TMC) Members of Parliament Mahua Moitra and Derek O’Brien during a demonstration outside Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s residence. The protest was organized against recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids in Kolkata, which the party claims were politically motivated.
The TMC Protest erupted early Friday morning as several MPs gathered near the Home Minister’s residence and office, holding placards and raising slogans against what they described as the “misuse of central agencies.” Videos circulating on social media show police personnel forcibly removing MPs from the protest site, triggering widespread criticism from opposition parties.
ED Raids Trigger Political Flashpoint
The demonstration followed extensive ED raids conducted on Thursday across nearly 15 locations in Kolkata, including the office of political consultancy firm I-PAC and the residence of its head, Prateek Jain. The raids were reportedly linked to an ongoing investigation into an alleged fake government jobs scam.
TMC leaders strongly objected to the operation, alleging that the TMC Protest was necessitated by an attempt to seize sensitive political material, including internal strategy documents, candidate lists, and hard drives, ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections. The party accused the central government of using investigative agencies to intimidate and weaken political opponents.
Speaking during the protest, Mahua Moitra claimed that the ED was being deployed as a political tool. She said the entire country had witnessed how investigative agencies were misused to target her party and praised West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for personally intervening to protect party assets during the raids.
Mamata Banerjee Condemns Detention of MPs
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee strongly condemned the detention of TMC MPs in Delhi. In a statement posted on social media platform X, she described the incident as “shameful and unacceptable,” asserting that dragging elected representatives for exercising their democratic right to protest was not law enforcement but “arrogance in uniform.”
She further stated that democracy does not function at the convenience of those in power and accused the ruling party of applying double standards—allowing its own leaders to protest freely while suppressing opposition voices through force and detention.
Banerjee reiterated that respect in a democracy must be mutual and warned that attempts to humiliate opposition leaders would be met with firm resistance rooted in constitutional values.
March in Kolkata, BJP Hits Back
Later in the day, Mamata Banerjee led a protest march in Kolkata from Jadavpur 8B Bus Stand to Hazra Crossing, signaling that the party would escalate its resistance.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Chief Minister of interfering in an ongoing investigation. Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, termed her visit to the raid site unconstitutional and demanded action against her for alleged obstruction of justice.
The standoff has further deepened tensions between the Centre and the TMC, with the TMC Protest becoming a flashpoint in the larger debate over federalism, misuse of agencies, and the state of democratic dissent in India.
