Kolkata erupted in political fervor on Friday as West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee spearheaded a high-profile protest march, coinciding with chaotic scenes at the Calcutta High Court where a judge abruptly exited the courtroom during a hearing on Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids targeting political consultancy firm I-PAC.

Justice Suvra Ghosh adjourned the proceedings to January 14 after repeated calls for order went unheeded amid pushing, shoving, and heated lawyer arguments. The ED had approached the court seeking a CBI probe, accusing Banerjee of interfering at raid sites by seizing documents, a laptop, and a phone to obstruct their coal smuggling money laundering investigation linked to I-PAC. This marks a significant escalation in the Centre-state tussle, with the hearing's disruption delaying scrutiny into alleged evidence tampering.

Banerjee marched 6 km from Jadavpur to Hazra crossing, joined by Trinamool Congress (TMC) supporters chanting against the BJP-led central government. She condemned the ED actions as a "witch hunt" ahead of assembly elections, vowing to protect firms like I-PAC that aided TMC's data-savvy campaigns in 2021. TMC portrays the raids on I-PAC co-founder Pratik Jain's home and office as desperate BJP tactics to unsettle Bengal's ruling party.

BJP leaders, including Ravi Shankar Prasad, hit back, labeling Banerjee "corruption incarnate" and demanding accountability for intimidating federal officers. They argue her street protests distract from probes into multi-crore scams plaguing the state. The opposition sees this as validation of their narrative on TMC governance failures.