Bengal polls: After ED arrest of I-PAC co-founder, Abhishek Banerjee flags ‘level playing field’ concern

Kolkata: Just after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested Vinesh Chandel, co-founder of I-PAC from New Delhi, Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee said on Monday night that the level playing field has been shaken only ten days' ahead of the Bengal assembly polls.

"The arrest of Vinesh Chandel, co-founder of I-PAC, barely 10 days before the Bengal elections, is not just alarming- It shakes the very idea of a level playing field. At a time when WB should be moving toward free and fair elections, this kind of action sends a chilling message: If you work with the opposition, you could be next. That’s not democracy- that’s intimidation!" Banerjee posted in his X Handle.

Attacking Union Home Minister Amit Shah and CEC, Banerjee said in his post, "To Amit Shah and the BJP’s power structure- Be in Bengal on the 4th and 5th of May. Come with Gyanesh Kumar and every agency you deploy. Bengal will not be bullied, will not be silenced and will not bow. This is a land that answers pressure with resistance and it will show you exactly what that means!"



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" What makes it even harder to ignore is the double standard. Those facing serious corruption allegations seem to find protection the moment they switch sides, while others are swiftly targeted at politically convenient moments. People are not blind to this anymore," he added.

"When institutions meant to protect democracy start feeling like tools of pressure, trust begins to erode. On one side, the Election Commission. On the other, agencies like the ED, NIA, CBI stepping in at the most sensitive time. It creates an atmosphere of fear, not fairness," Abhishek said.


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"India has always taken pride in its democracy- loud, messy but free. But today, many are beginning to ask: are we still that country? This is bigger than one arrest. It is about whether our institutions remain independent and whether every citizen, no matter their political belief, can participate without fear. Because once fear replaces freedom, democracy becomes just a word," Abhishek Banerjee said.