ED raids row: TMC MPs channel Mamata’s ‘khela hobey’ politics outside Amit Shah’s office

New Delhi: The impromptu sit-in protest by Trinamool Congress MPs outside the office of Amit Shah on Friday bore all the hallmarks of Mamata Banerjee’s distinctive political style — dramatic, symbolic, and designed for maximum public impact. 

Around 8.30 am, eight MPs of the Trinamool Congress gathered outside the Home Minister’s office, holding placards and blocking the entrance to protest the Enforcement Directorate raids conducted in Kolkata a day earlier.

As prior permission had not been sought, Delhi Police intervened and removed the MPs, briefly detaining some — a move that only amplified the political optics of the protest.

The demonstration followed ED searches at multiple locations in Kolkata, including two premises linked to the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), which manages TMC’s election strategy.

The party alleged that the raids were orchestrated by the Centre to access confidential campaign material and influence the upcoming Assembly elections, calling it a case of political vendetta. The ED has rejected the charge, maintaining that the searches are unrelated to elections or politics.

On Thursday, even as the raids were underway, Mamata Banerjee herself rushed to the I-PAC offices, emerged within minutes holding documents, a laptop, and a mobile phone, and addressed the media — a move that reinforced her long-standing approach of confronting central agencies head-on and framing such actions as attacks on Bengal’s autonomy.

Political observers see clear parallels with earlier episodes. In 2019, Mamata had rushed to the residence of then Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar during a CBI visit and later staged a sit-in protest, casting the action as a central vendetta.

Over the years, images of her protesting with a bandaged head during the Left Front era, or campaigning in a wheelchair ahead of the 2021 election with the slogan “khela hobey”, (Game is on) have cemented her image as a combative street fighter.

That legacy now appears to be reflected in her party colleagues. In October 2023, TMC leaders led by Abhishek Banerjee staged an overnight protest at Krishi Bhavan over delayed MGNREGS funds and were detained by police. Similar confrontations in Tripura and Assam over alleged attacks on party workers have also produced dramatic visuals and political messaging.

At 71, Mamata Banerjee may now govern from the seat of power, but Friday’s Delhi protest underlined how her “khela hobey” style — blending confrontation, symbolism, and spectacle — continues to define Trinamool Congress politics, both in Bengal and on the national stage.