A day after the Trinamool Congress dismissed reports of the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) shutting down in poll-bound West Bengal, the firm has introduced a series of operational changes, including shifting some teams to work-from-home and restricting official communication channels in the state.
According to internal communication, several verticals within I-PAC have been directed to shift to a work-from-home (WFH) model with immediate effect. The new working policy guidelines were issued by the leadership late on April 18.
The communication cited “internal legal reasons” for the abrupt changes in operational functioning. As part of the revised protocol, I-PAC employees have also been instructed to avoid using official email IDs for any stakeholder communication.
The Trinamool Congress on Sunday alleged a conspiracy was being orchestrated by the BJP-led Centre to cripple its campaign machinery through intimidation, even as it dismissed reports of I-PAC stopping operations in West Bengal as “completely baseless”.
The sharp rebuttal came hours after reports claimed that I-PAC – closely associated with the Trinamool Congress’s election campaigns since 2021 – had asked its employees in the state to halt work immediately and proceed on a 20-day leave.
A newspaper report, citing a purported internal email sent late on April 18, said the organisation had invoked “legal obligations” and indicated that work in West Bengal would remain suspended until May 11, after which further instructions would be issued.
Rejecting the claims, the Trinamool Congress asserted that I-PAC’s team in the state “remains fully engaged” and that campaign operations are continuing as planned. Taking aim at the BJP, the party said West Bengal would not be “swayed by misinformation or intimidation” and that voters would deliver their verdict during polling on April 23 and 29.
The party’s aggressive pushback comes amid mounting legal and investigative scrutiny of I-PAC and its senior leadership. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had earlier conducted searches at the firm’s Kolkata office and at the Loudon Street residence of its founder, Prateek Jain, in connection with a coal smuggling case.
During the raids, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited Jain’s residence and alleged that central agencies were attempting to seize confidential election-related documents linked to the party’s campaign. The matter later reached the Supreme Court and remains under judicial consideration.
More recently, I-PAC co-founder and director Vinesh Chandel was arrested in Delhi and is currently in ED custody. The arrest drew a sharp response from TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee, who described it as “not democracy, but intimidation”.
(with inputs from PTI)
