I-PAC political-consultancy firm or TMC's slush-money front, asks BJP

New Delhi, Jan 11 (PTI) The BJP launched a fresh attack on West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday, alleging that the manner in which she "forcibly" took away files from the premises of the I-PAC during the ED's raids in Kolkata two days ago raises the question that whether it is a political-consultancy firm or the TMC's slush-money front.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also raised questions on the presence of the state police chief during the incident, alleging that the entire police infrastructure in West Bengal has become a "weapon" in the hands of Banerjee for all her "shameful, unconstitutional and undemocratic" activities.

"You (Banerjee) are saying that I-PAC is your political-consultancy firm. But the suspicious circumstances around it raise many questions as to whether it is your political-consultancy firm or the TMC's front to park unaccounted money and pass slush money," Prasad told reporters.

"All of us consult and engage consultancy firms. If you are going to name someone as your party's candidate, you will announce it. It is very simple. Your meeting schedules are also a matter of public knowledge. Then what kind of a secret was there? What secret strategy was being made there? What are you hiding Mamataji?" he asked.

Prasad alleged that discussions keep happening about prominent Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders' links to the coal "scam" in West Bengal. "If needed, we will reveal more," he added.

The BJP leader claimed that Banerjee, the TMC supremo, took away files from the premises of the I-PAC during the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) raid as she was scared.

"It is natural. The Goa election, the Asansol coal syndicate, Mr Majhi -- all these things are being discussed in the media. All these things are coming up and more will follow. That is why Mamata is scared. If needed, we will reveal more gradually," the former Union minister said.

"In short, Mamata's political journey is about to turn into a defeat in two or three months. That is why there is panic and people do all sorts of things when they are panicking. That is exactly what is happening there," he added.

The ED on Friday raided 10 premises -- six in West Bengal and four in Delhi -- as part of a 2020 case registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) against a coal-smuggling syndicate led by Anup Majhi alias "Lala", who allegedly stole and illegally excavated coal from the Eastern Coalfield leasehold areas in and around Asansol in West Bengal's Paschim Bardhaman district.

A hawala operator linked to coal smuggling allegedly facilitated transactions of tens of crores of rupees to the Indian PAC Consulting Private Limited, the registered company of political-consultancy firm I-PAC, according to the federal probe agency.

The I-PAC is also one of the entities linked to hawala money, it alleged.

According to media reports, the investigation into the alleged coal-smuggling syndicate has also brought to light a possible connection with election-related activities in Goa in the past. PTI PK RC