What the Trinamool called a peaceful protest outside Amit Shah’s office escalated into detentions as MPs raised slogans against the Centre, accusing it of weaponising central agencies for political ends.
BY PC Bureau
New Delhi: The political confrontation between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP, rooted in West Bengal, spilled onto the streets of the national capital on Friday as Trinamool MPs staged a protest outside Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s office, only to be detained by Delhi Police after tensions escalated.
What the Trinamool Congress described as a peaceful demonstration quickly turned chaotic when police moved in to clear the area, leading to shouting, scuffles and the detention of several MPs, including Derek O’Brien, Mahua Moitra, Satabdi Roy, Kirti Azad and others.
The MPs were protesting the Enforcement Directorate’s action a day earlier at the Kolkata office of political consultancy firm I-PAC. The West Bengal ruling party has accused the BJP-led Centre of using central investigative agencies to target political opponents, particularly with Assembly elections in the state due by April.
As slogans against Amit Shah and the Centre grew louder, Delhi Police intervened, escorting the protesting MPs to waiting police vans. Visuals from the spot showed MPs being pulled away amid raised voices and resistance.
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“You can see what is happening to elected Members of Parliament in this country,” Derek O’Brien said as police held him back.
Mahua Moitra accused the police of stifling democratic dissent. “The entire country is watching how the Delhi Police treats an elected MP. We will defeat the BJP,” she said, adding to the intensity of the protest.
VIDEO | Delhi: Police detain TMC MP Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) as party MPs protest outside Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s office against ED raids on the I-PAC office in Kolkata.
(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/k6ixpz6bMV
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 9, 2026
Reacting to the detentions, Trinamool national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the Centre in a post on X, alleging that democracy was being punished while criminals were rewarded. Accusing the government of weaponising investigative agencies and manipulating elections, he asserted that Bengal would resist and that the party would fight the BJP “tooth and nail”.
Trinamool MP Satabdi Roy alleged that central agencies are routinely activated during election periods. “They remember the ED and CBI only during elections. They use these agencies to win polls, but they will not succeed,” she said.
The detained MPs were taken to the Parliament Street police station for temporary detention, where they continued raising slogans and demanding their release.
The flashpoint follows Thursday’s ED raid at I-PAC’s Kolkata office in connection with the coal smuggling case. The agency has alleged that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee interfered with the search by entering the residential premises of I-PAC director Prateek Jain and removing key evidence, including documents and electronic devices.
Amit Shah’s cops dragging us @AITCofficial MPs in police vans to police station. Bring in on BJP Bengans – you’ll be eaten by the Bengal Tigress @MamataOfficial pic.twitter.com/6JQmLQ7M15
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) January 9, 2026
The Trinamool Congress has dismissed the allegations as politically motivated, insisting the action is part of a broader campaign to intimidate the party ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections.
With Bengal’s political battle now playing out in Delhi, the episode underscores how agency action, street protests and election politics are becoming increasingly intertwined as the state heads into a high-stakes poll season.
