Amid I-PAC Row, Suvendu Sends Legal Notice To Mamata Over 'Coal Scam' Allegations Against Him, Amit Shah

Kolkata: Amid a massive row over the Enforcement Directorate's raids on political consultancy firm Indian Political Action Comittee (I-PAC) ahead of the Bengal polls, West Bengal Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari has sent a legal notice to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, demanding evidence within 72 hours of her allegations made against him and Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding the coal smuggling case.

Banerjee alleged on Friday that Shah and Adhikari were involved in the case, and that the money from the scam was routed through Adhikari to Shah. She made the remarks while addressing a public gathering amid protests against the ED raid at the I-PAC's Kolkata office.

In a post shared on X on Friday, Adhikari said that the Chief Minister's allegations were made in a "desperate attempt to divert attention" from the ongoing ED investigation.

He added that the claims were defamatory, politically motivated, and damaging to public discourse, and said that he would pursue legal remedies if evidence were not produced within the deadline.

"Today, CM Mamata Banerjee, in a desperate attempt to divert attention from an ongoing ED investigation, made absolutely baseless defamatory allegations against me, linking me to an 'alleged' coal scam alongside the Hon'ble Union Home Minister. These reckless statements, laced with personal insults, were made publicly without any shred of evidence. Such unsubstantiated claims not only tarnished my reputation but also undermine the dignity of public discourse. Today, through my Advocate, I have served a Legal Notice demanding that she provide all purported evidence within 72 hours. If she fails to do so, I will pursue appropriate Civil and Criminal actions for Defamation," Adhikari's post read.

'Baseless and Wholly Unsubstantiated'

In the notice, Adhikari termed the Chief Minister's statements as "reckless, baseless, and wholly unsubstantiated," accusing her of making defamatory allegations without producing any evidence.

He also objected to what he described as personal and distasteful remarks aimed at maligning his reputation and dignity as a public representative. The notice calls upon the Chief Minister to furnish all documents, materials, and purported evidence supporting her claims within the stipulated 72-hour period.

Addressing the gathering on Friday, Banerjee had said, "You know who is sitting in the Election Commission. He was the Cooperation Department Secretary of Amit Shah. I have no issues with that. If Gyanesh Kumar is vanishing votes, why will I stay quiet? If the voter's rights are snatched, I will snatch your rights. TMC MPs have been dragged mercilessly when they were protesting in Delhi. All the agencies have been grabbed...Who gets the coal scam's money? Amit Shah gets it. The money goes through Suvendu Adhikari. The money goes through BJP leader Jagannath Chattopadhyay to Suvendu Adhikari. Suvendu Adhikari sends it to Amit Shah."

Defending her entering the I-PAC office when the ED action was conducting a raid, Mamata alleged that the agency sleuths were stealing the election-related data.

"I have done nothing wrong. You have come to kill me. I have the right to defend myself. Why did you enter like thieves? You were stealing the SIR data of all voters. You were stealing BLA-1 and BLA-2 addresses and the appeals of the common man in the I-PAC office," she said.

She claimed that ED entered the office at 6 am, while she came at 11.45 am. "In 5.5 hours, you have stolen everything. I called Pratik Jain, director of I-PAC, but he did not pick up the call. Then I felt something suspicious. The same I-PAC worked with PM Modi in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. I have given I-PAC the responsibility to see our IT cell," she said.

Why Did ED Raid I-PAC?

The raids, according to a statement from the Enforcement Directorate, were part of a probe into a 2020 case registered by the CBI against a coal smuggling syndicate accused of illegally excavating coal from Eastern Coalfields' leasehold areas in and around Asansol in Paschim Bardhaman district.

According to the ED, a hawala operator linked to the coal smuggling racket facilitated transactions of tens of crores of rupees to Indian PAC Consulting Pvt Ltd, the registered company of I-PAC.

"IPAC is also one of the entities linked to hawala money," the agency alleged, maintaining that the proceedings were being conducted peacefully and professionally until the chief minister’s arrival.

I-PAC Issues Statement

After the Enforcement Directorate raids on I-PAC's premises, the firm issued a statement late Friday, claiming that the organisation remains "fully committed" to continuing their work "unfazed and unperturbed".

The firm stated that it had worked for parties including "across ideologies", including the BJP, Congress and AAP, among others.

"Yesterday, officials from the Enforcement Directorate carried out searches at the I-PAC office and at the residence of our Director, Pratik Jain, in Kolkata. It was a difficult and unfortunate day for a professional organisation like I-PAC. We believe this raises serious concerns and sets an unsettling precedent. Regardless, we have extended full cooperation and will continue to do so as required, engaging with the process in complete accordance and respect for the law," the statement said.

"We have always upheld the highest standards of professional integrity in all that we do. Despite what transpired yesterday, we remain fully committed to continuing our work unfazed and unperturbed, with consistency and accountability guided by the same purpose that has shaped us from the start,” I-PAC said.

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