What was meant to be an administrative occasion — the inauguration of the new building of the Calcutta High Court Circuit Bench in Jalpaiguri on Saturday — quickly turned politically charged after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee strongly criticised the alleged misuse of central investigative agencies, triggering sharp reactions from the BJP and the CPI(M).
Speaking in the presence of Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal and judges of the Calcutta High Court, the Chief Minister alleged that a pattern of humiliation and harassment was being created through the deliberate use of investigative agencies. “These days, a trend is going on— insulting people through agencies,” Mamata said, claiming that reputations were being tarnished and people’s dignity destroyed.
Directly addressing the judiciary, she said, “We are in your custody. The responsibility of saving the Constitution rests with you.”
Emphasising the judiciary’s role, the Chief Minister said courts today carry a crucial responsibility in protecting democracy, the people and constitutional values. She added that her remarks were not personal but made for the dignity of all citizens, warning that misuse of agencies against individuals or groups weakens the foundations of democracy.
Her comments, delivered from the stage of a judicial inauguration, immediately sparked debate in political circles.
The opposition, however, launched a fierce counter-offensive. BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumder accused the Chief Minister of being “confused” and claimed that once the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter list process concludes, the defeat of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) would be inevitable. In a sharper remark, he said that the very judiciary Mamata was appealing to would be the first to send her to jail.
CPI(M) leader and senior advocate Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya also criticised the Chief Minister, alleging that she herself had undermined the dignity of the judiciary by making political statements before judges. He said that instead of speaking about justice for common people, Mamata had effectively sought judicial backing for what he described as her party’s “hooliganism”.
The controversy has emerged against the backdrop of a major setback for the state government in the IPAC–ED case linked to the coal smuggling investigation. Earlier this month, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted raids at the IPAC office in Kolkata and the residence of its head, Pratik Jain. Mamata had rushed to the spot along with Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar, Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Verma and other senior officials, following which legal proceedings were initiated in both the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court.
The situation escalated further on January 15 during a Supreme Court hearing, when the apex court, in an interim order, observed that allegations of state interference in the functioning of a central agency raised serious constitutional questions and could not be treated as isolated incidents. Justice J Mishra noted that while the matter could have been resolved quickly, its seriousness warranted detailed examination. The court directed issuance of notices to all parties, asked the state government to file a counter-affidavit within two weeks, ordered preservation of CCTV footage and storage devices from the January 8 raid, and stayed all police investigations against ED officials until the next hearing.
Against this backdrop, political observers believe the Chief Minister’s remarks from the Jalpaiguri stage have further sharpened the ongoing debate in West Bengal over the use of investigative agencies, the role of the judiciary and the limits of constitutional authority.
Also read: Kolkata Police begin probe on Mamata's complaint against ED raids
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